Goaltending

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For the article about goaltending in ice hockey, see goaltender.

In basketball, goaltending is the violation of interfering with the ball when it is on its way to the basket and it is (a) in its downward flight, (b) entirely above the rim and has the possibility of entering the basket, and (c) not touching the rim. In both NCAA basketball and NBA basketball, goaltending is also called if the ball has already touched the backboard while it is above the rim in its flight, regardless of whether it is in upward or downward flight. Goaltending in this context defines by exclusion what is considered a legal block of a field goal. In NCAA basketball, goaltending is also called when a player interferes with a free throw at any time in its flight towards the basket.

If goaltending is called for interference with a field goal, the shooting team is awarded the points for the field goal as if it had been made. In NCAA basketball, if goaltending is called for interference with a free throw, the shooting team is awarded one point and a technical foul is called against the offending team.

Goaltending is commonly confused with the related violation of basket interference. Basket interference is like goaltending in that it involves interference with a field goal when it may still go through the basket; and when the violation is made by the defending team, the shooting team is awarded points for the field goal as if it had been made.

For more information on goaltending in NCAA basketball, see the definition in Rule 4, Section 34 of the 2008 NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Rules, and the penalties in Rule 9, Section 17. In the National Basketball Association rules, goaltending and basket interference are discussed together in RULE NO. 11-BASKETBALL INTERFERENCE-GOALTENDING.