The NBA is set to try out a new approach to free throws this summer, the league revealed Thursday.
Under the experimental format, any foul that would ordinarily send a player to the line for one, two, or three free throw attempts will instead result in just a single shot — but that one attempt will be worth one, two, or three points depending on the situation.
The change will not affect the end of games, as standard free throw rules will remain in place during the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and during any overtime periods.
The concept is not entirely new to professional basketball. The NBA G League has already been operating under this same format since the 2019-20 season. According to a social media post from the league Thursday, the rule was adopted in the G League “to improve game flow.”
