Can You Dunk From the Free-throw line?

In basketball, the dunk is regarded as the most entertaining play and highlight in the game. Nothing beats when a player blows by their defender and goes straight down the middle of the lane dunking the ball on another player while drawing the foul. But what about dunking from the line.

Can you dunk from the free-throw line? No, you can not dunk from the free-throw line because there are rules in place forbidding you to cross the free-throw line until the basketball hits the rim. Even if this were not the case, you would have 10 seconds from the time you get the basketball from the referee and to gather yourself in a position to run up and dunk the ball all while making sure you don’t step on the line. 

Dunking the ball in itself is very difficult from the free-throw line and having to do it twice after being fouled on a shot, it would take a lot of energy out of a player. It’s really not as easy as it seems.

 

This is why NBA players can’t dunk free-throws

The reality is during a free-throw, the rule states you can not cross the line as the shooter.

If you do and the ball goes into the basket it doesn’t count. I am sure that players have thought about even trying to lay up the ball with a running start from the line.

But this is a rule that is common through every level of basketball.

Here is a further explanation of the free-throw rules in the NBA and why you can not dunk the basketball.

a. When a free throw is awarded, an official shall put the ball in play by delivering it to the free throw shooter. The shooter shall be above the free throw line and within the upper half of the free throw He shall attempt the free throw within 10 seconds of controlling the ball in such a way that the ball enters the basket or touches the ring.

You get the basketball from the referee at the line, turn around run to at least the center court and then run towards the free-throw line and make sure your foot doesn’t touch the line when you jump and dunk it.

Sounds like a lot. How tired would you be having to do this three times because you were fouled attempting a three-point shot?

Wilt Chamberlain Dunked Free-throws?

There are rumors that Wilt Chamberlain dunked free-throws? There’s no actual footage of Wilt dunking from the free-throw line.

But the story is he was doing this in college early in the season. He was 100 percent from the line until the NCAA took notice and changed the rules immediately, alongside the NBA.

Just another rule that was changed because of Wilt Chamberlain, as it didn’t seem fair.

How far back can you stand from the free-throw line?

The free-throw line is 15 feet away form the basket, why would anyone want to stand any further?

Well, you technically could stand behind the three-point line, I think…Not entirely sure as in the NBA rule book it states: The shooter shall be above the free-throw line and within the upper half of the free throw…

Does that mean stay within the upper half-circle? The jump ball circle? I believe so.

But because I am not sure I do what I always do and emailed NBA.com to find out more. I will report back with an update.

Nick Van Excel was one player who stood at least three feet or more away from the line, which is around 18 feet.

In college the three-point line is 20 feet. I am not sure why Van Excel would do this, actually, I am not sure why the team who signed him for millions of dollars would allow him to do this.

I could only imagine if he had the game-winning free-throw and the fans are going absolutely crazy seeing Van-Excel going to the line only to watch him take 3 steps away from the line to take the shot would have everyone worried.

It sounds like a meme if you ask me.

Wilt Chamberlain did something similar to Van Excel but it was really cringe worthy to watch, Chamberlain was a terrible free-throw shooter, one of the worse in NBA History, shooting 51 percent.

Like Van Excel, he would stand further from the line. But I think Wilt did this because he was trying to combat the amount of power he had when he shot.

Just check out his free-throw below, how he even shot 50 percent is amazing if you ask me.

Dwight Howard, it just gets worse, Howard a 56 percent free-throw shooter from his career is shooting almost at the three-point line.

What is he thinking, I have no excuses for him. How does a player think moving 4 feet further from the line is the right answer to solving your free throw problems when you can barely make a free throw at the line.

Basketball Free-throw rules you may not know?

• A player shooting a free-throw may not cross the line until the basketball hits the rim
• The players who are lined up along the key may not rebound the basketball until the ball is released from the shooter’s hands.
• You have ten seconds to shoot the free-throw.
• You can not pump fake a free throw.

Can you jump and shoot a free throw?

I have searched high and low and have not found an answer that says otherwise.

You can Jump while attempting a free throw but can not cross the line on landing. If you want more on this topic click here for an article I wrote on this very subject.

What is the One free throw rule?

The NBA is experimenting with the one free-throw rule to speed up the game of basketball.

In the NBA developmental league, also known as the G-League. They have the one free-throw rule and it is as follows.

The player is fouled when attempting a shot. The referee blows their whistle to indicate that there was a foul.

The player that was fouled steps to the line. The player shoots one free throw for two points instead of two free throws for one point each.

If the player makes the first free-throw he is awarded 2 points and if they don’t make the free-throw the ball is live and he is not awarded another free-throw.

This is how the one free throw works. One-shot make or miss.

Did Michael Jordan dunk from the free-throw line?

Yes, Michael Jordan did dunk from the free-throw line but it was during a dunk contest and not in an actual game.

Even if Jordan was allowed to try and dunk the ball from the free-throw line he would not be allowed to step on the line which he usually does when he attempting the free-throw line dunks in those 1980’s dunk contests.