free throws

Question
My 9-year-old son is playing for his school team, and they are teaching them to shoot free throws without leaving your feet. I've never heard of such a rule, and it seems to be encouraging bad form with young kids who still are working on basic shooting mechanics. THey wind up shooting with the arms, etc. Is there such a rule about leaving your feet when shooting free throws?

Answer
Hi Scott,

no there is no rule about leaving your feet. The only rule that applies in free throw shooting in regards to the feet, is they cannot cross the free throw line until the ball hits the rim. So if your boy is jumping a little to shoot the free throw, have him stand back from the line far enough so that when he jumps, and lands, he doesn't go over the line. They do need to learn to use more of their legs as a means of shooting strenghth. But that doesn't mean they have to jump. I hope that helps.