Definition

Noun: 1. A free, unhindered basketball shot taken from the foul line: This shot is awarded to a player as a penalty against the opposing team for committing a foul. It is also commonly called a "free throw."

Usage and Examples

• Primary Usage: The term is used specifically in the context of a basketball game when describing the penalty shot awarded after a foul.
  • After the hard foul, the referee awarded him two charity shots.
  • The game was tied, and she stepped up to the line to take the crucial charity shot.
  • His team lost because they missed several easy charity shots in the final quarter.

Advanced Usage and Notes

• The term "charity" humorously implies the shot is a "gift" or an easy opportunity given freely by the opposing team's mistake. It is considered a fundamental skill, as players are expected to make these uncontested shots consistently.
• The shot is taken from behind the free-throw line (or foul line), which is 15 feet from the basket in most leagues.

Variants and Related Words

• Free throw: The standard and more common term for a . The two terms are synonyms.
• Foul shot: Another synonym for a or .
• And-one: A colloquial term used when a player is fouled while making a basket; they are then awarded one additional .

Synonyms

• Free throw
• Foul shot
• Penalty shot (in a basketball context)

Related Phrases

• To go to the line: To go to the free-throw line to attempt one or more .
  • The star player went to the line six times in the first half.
• To shoot free throws / charity shots: The action of taking the penalty shots.
  • She practices shooting free throws for an hour every day.

Noun

1. an unhindered basketball shot from the foul line; given to penalize the other team for committing a foul