In
basketball, a three-point play is usually achieved by scoring a two-point
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
, being
fouled in the act of shooting, and scoring one point on the subsequent
free throw. Before the
three-point field goal 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-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
In basketball, a four-point play is the rare occasion when an offensive player shoots and makes a three-point field goal while simultaneously being fouled by a defensive player, resulting in a shooting foul and one free throw attempt, or a two- ...
References
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Basketball terminology