In
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
, a three-point play is usually achieved by scoring a two-point
field goal, being
fouled in the act of shooting, and scoring one point on the subsequent
free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
. Before the
three-point field goal
A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two poi ...
was created in the 1960s for professional basketball and 1980s for collegiate basketball, it was the only way to score three points on a single possession. It is sometimes called an old-fashioned three-point play to distinguish from the later three-point shot. And one is also sometimes used to refer to the extra free throw after a two-point basket.
In
FIBA
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its nam ...
-sanctioned
3-on-3 play (branded as 3x3), a "three-point" or "four-point play" is possible only under very limited circumstances. In that form of the game, field goals taken inside the "three-point" arc are worth only 1 point, and field goals made from outside the arc are worth 2 points.
* A player fouled in the act of shooting a successful 2-point basket receives 1 free throw, as long as the defensive team has committed 6 or fewer team fouls in the game.
* Upon the 7th team foul in a game, the non-fouling team receives 2 free throws on all fouls by the defense—even after made baskets. This means that on fouls during a successful field goal attempt, a three-point play is possible after a made 1-point basket, and a four-point play after a made 2-point basket.
See also
*
Four-point play
References
{{basketball-stub
Basketball terminology