EXCERPTS FROM
The Official Guide of the Knights of
CHAMPIONSHIP DATES
The recommended time frame for the Knights of Columbus Free
Throw Championship is:
Council Championship — January
District Championship — February
Regional Championship *(optional) — February
State Championship — March
State officials should notify each council well in advance
concerning the dates, times and locations of the regional and state
championships. The district deputy is responsible for notifying councils of the
date, time and location of the district competition. The grand knight or Free
Throw Championship chairman should notify the council winners of the date, time
and location of the next level of competition.
Eligibility
The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship is open to all
boys and girls in your community, ages 10 to 14. Age eligibility is determined
by the age of the contestant as of January 1. Proof of age is required. High
school-age athletes should be advised to check with their school athletic
directors or their state high school athletic associations regarding possible
eligibility conflicts.
Entries
All competitors must register using the official Knights of
Columbus Free Throw Championship Entry Form/Score Sheet (#1598). Proof of age
must accompany all entry forms. Preregistration is
recommended, but it is not required. The entry form/score sheet and proof of
age must accompany participants through all levels of competition. Each youngster
may compete in only one council competition. Winners will progress to the
district, regional and state levels of competition. International champions are
chosen on the basis of state-level results.
Court/Equipment
Each level of competition should be held on any local basketball
court or suitable facility approved by and under the supervision of a
participating Knights of Columbus council.
AGE SPECIFICATIONS
Ages 10, 11 (Boys
& Girls Competitions)
Use a women’s regulation-size basketball and shoot from a
12-foot foul line at a 10-foot-high basket. (NOTE: The normal foul line is 15
feet from the basket. Foul lines at 12 feet from the basket for 10- and
11-year-old divisions should be clearly marked with athletic or masking tape
prior to the competition.)
Ages 12, 13, 14 (Girls
Competitions)
Use a women’s regulation-size basketball and shoot from the
regulation foul line 15 feet from a 10-foot-high basket.
Ages 12, 13, 14 (Boys
Competitions)
Use a men’s regulation-size basketball and shoot from the regulation
foul line 15 feet from a 10-foot-high basket.
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Judges/Scorers/Rebounders
Judges, scorers and rebounders will be
selected by the Free Throw Championship chairman at the council level, by the district deputy at the
district level, and by the state deputy at the regional and state levels. The
recommended minimum is one judge, two scorers and a rebounder
at each basket. It is recommended that volunteer parents be utilized in age
groups other than the group(s) in which their child (children) competes. The
judge will ensure that each participant receives the proper warm-up tosses and
will point out any foul-shooting violations (see Scoring section). All questions
will be resolved by the judges and Free Throw Championship chairman. Scorers
should refer to the scoring instructions included on the entry form/score
sheet.
Scoring
Normal rules of basketball regarding free throws apply for all
levels of competition. Free Throw violations include stepping on or over the
line prior to the ball reaching the rim, or shots rebounding off the “out of bounds”
basket support and equipment. Scorers should record baskets made and missed on
each attempt according to the instructions on the entry form/score sheet. It is
recommended that multiple scorers be assigned to each basket for scoring
accuracy the next contestant is allowed to shoot. The use of videotape
recording of the competition is not recommended to resolve questions on scoring
totals. The judges and scorers and actual entry form/score sheets should determine
final scores.
Competition Levels
Council Level Each contestant receives three warm-up tosses followed by 15
consecutive Free Throw attempts from the appropriate age-designated foul line
(see the Court/Equipment/Age section for
proper
ball sizes and foulline distances). To break a tie, contestants
take a second round of five free throws. No warm-up tosses are permitted for
the tie-breaker rounds. Successive rounds of five free
throws
each continue until a winner emerges.
District Level Each contestant receives three warm-up tosses followed by 25 consecutive free throw
attempts from the foul line. To break a tie, contestants take a second
round of five free throws.
No warm-up tosses are permitted for the tie-breaker rounds.
Successive rounds of five free throws each continue until a winner emerges.
Regional Level Each contestant receives three warm-up tosses followed
by 25 consecutive free throw
attempts from the foul line. To break a tie, contestants take a second
round of five free throws. No warm-up tosses are permitted for the tie-breaker rounds.
Successive rounds of five free throws each
continue until a winner emerges.
State Level Each contestant receives
three warm-up tosses followed by 25 consecutive free throw attempts from the
foul line. To break a tie, contestants take a second round of five free throws.
No warm-up tosses are permitted for the tie-breaker rounds. Successive rounds
of five free throws each continue until a winner emerges.
International Level International champions are determined on the basis of best
scores submitted from the state-level competitions in each age category.
NOTE:
In the event that a winner in any level
cannot participate in the next level of competition, the
second- place winner should represent the area
for that age group.
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