NBSA Free Throw Mastery Championship Tournament Format; 2011 Update
- Blog:
The NBSA was created to educate, reward and motivate basketball shooting enthusiasts and players who are in the pursuit of perfection at the free throw line. Our NBSA championship free throw tournament format is our show case for the game of basketball and addresses the seriousness of poor game time free throw shooting.
It is our hope that our NBSA championship tournament format eventually catches the attention of the coaches and the youth who are playing organized basketball and helps to raise free throw and shooting percentages at all levels of competition.
The NBSA feels that there should be no age or gender discrimination in the championship free throw division, since age and gender usually aren't factors for excelling at the free throw line. We feel that it is an even field when we are able to hold free throw championship events with all ages. Our open champion could come from the youth, adult or senior divisions, with gender not being a factor.
Some NBSA free throw championship events will have one champion, some will have women's or girl's / men's or boy's and some will be youth, adult and senior. The tournament’s championship structure depends upon the amount of entries and ages offered.
The National Basketball Shooters Association has determined that par in free throw shooting is 92% and that free throw mastery is 96% or better.
QUALIFYING
The NBSA free throw mastery championship tournament format qualifies the top free throw shooters from the age division competition by a set percentage, 92% or better, or by a set number - 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64.
The number of qualifiers chosen is based upon the time constraints and quality and number of competitors at each event. Those qualifiers are then placed, according to their shooting percentage, into a single elimination draw sheet to compete head-to-head by alternating shots.
First contestant to make a set amount of shots (10, 15, 25 or 50) wins, with a sudden death shoot-off, if tied.
AGE DIVISIONS
Youth / Girls and Boys: 8-9, 10-11, 12- 13, 14-15, 16-18.
Adult / Women and Men: 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40- 44, 45-49
Senior / Women and Men: 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79
Golden Senior / Women and Men: 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95 AND OVER
THE OFFICIAL NBSA TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL
The official basketball of the NBSA is the only basketball permitted for competition in the NBSA free throw championship shooting events.
The men's official size basketball will be used in the men's and boy’s championships, except in the boys 8-9 year old division. The women's official size basketball will be used in the women's, girl’s and boy’s 8-9 year old division. In the NBSA championship events qualifiers use their own official sized basketball.
SHOOTING DISTANCE
The basket, and the distance from the basket to the free throw line, need to be measured and must meet all official basketball rule specifications, i.e. ten feet high all the way around the rim and fifteen feet from the backboard (ground measurement) with a net in good condition. The girls and boys in the 8-9 year old division move up four feet closer to the basket to shoot their free throws. A temporary free throw line will be made by placing a tape on the floor to resemble the free throw line, eleven feet from the backboard (ground measurement).
PRACTICE HOOP
There should always be an open hoop available during the championship
tournament for practice for the qualifiers.
DURING CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION
Procedures and rules during the actual championship competition:
1. Officials, re-bounders and score keepers. Each hoop being used during the championship competition must have one official, two re-bounders and two score keepers. The official, re-bounders and score keepers are NBSA volunteers. All championship competition volunteers will be dressed appropriately in NBSA official uniforms. All Officials must be present at a hoop before qualifiers are assigned to that competition hoop.
2. Warm Up - The warm up period at the official basket is not to exceed five minutes. Shooters will alternate turns. If one of the shooters is ready before the five minute warm up period is over they can ask if their opponent is ready. If both shooters agree, they can begin their competition any time.
2. Higher qualifying score has choice of going first or second. If tied, a coin
flip will decide who goes first.
3. During the competition, after taking a shot, that shooter moves to the left and back to receive their basketball from the official. The re-bounders give an easy one bounce pass to the official who hands the basketball to the shooter who just shot. The shooter who just shot goes in back of the shooter who is now shooting, so the current shooter is not distracted. This procedure repeats itself over and over until a winner is declared. It is up to the head score keeper to announce when the match is over by announcing "Winner".
4. Once the competition has started, the shooters may not converse with each other. If a shooter persists in talking to the opponent, the official must give a warning and alert the tournament director who will come over to observe. If talking continues, the tournament director can make a disqualification, if it appears the talking is distracting.
5. Score keepers will keep track of the score in silence. A shooter can ask the score at any time and then the head score keeper can respond.