Goaltending

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

Noah Vonleh's goaltending violation gives Nigel Williams-Goss a layup at the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.

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 height of the rim in its flight, regardless of whether it is in upward or downward flight or whether it is directly above the rim itself. Goaltending in this context defines by exclusion what is considered a legal block of a field goal. In high school and 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 high school and NCAA basketball, if goaltending is called on a free throw, the shooting team is awarded one point and a technical foul is called against the offending player.

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; 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.