RULE 4 - SECTION 41
SHOOTING, TRY, TAP

ART. 1 . . . The act of shooting begins simultaneously with the start of the try or tap for field goal and ends when the ball is clearly in flight, and includes the airborne shooter.

ART. 2 . . . A try for field goal is an attempt by a player to score two or three points by throwing the ball into a team’s own basket. A player is trying for goal when the player has the ball and in the official’s judgment is throwing or attempting to throw for goal. It is not essential that the ball leave the player’s hand as a foul could prevent release of the ball.

ART. 3 . . . The try starts when the player begins the motion which habitually precedes the release of the ball.

ART. 4 . . . The try ends when the throw is successful, when it is certain the throw is unsuccessful, when the thrown ball touches the floor or when the ball becomes dead.

ART. 5 . . . A tap for goal is the contacting of the ball with any part of a player’s hand(s) in an attempt to direct the ball into his/her basket.

ART. 6 . . . A tap must be considered the same as a try for field goal, except as in 5-2-5.

ART. 7 . . . The tap or try for field goal starts when the player’s hand(s) touches the ball.

ART. 8 . . . The tap for field goal ends in exactly the same manner as a try.