<P> In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court (the free throw line; informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team . Each successful free throw is worth one point . </P> <P> Free throws can normally be shot at a high percentage by good players . In the NBA, most players make 70--80% of their attempts . The league's best shooters (such as Steve Nash, Rick Barry, Ray Allen, José Calderón, Stephen Curry, Reggie Miller, Kevin Durant, and Dirk Nowitzki) can make roughly 90% of their attempts over a season, while notoriously poor shooters (e.g. Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Andre Drummond, Andris Biedrins, Chris Dudley, Ben Wallace, Shaquille O'Neal, and Dennis Rodman) may struggle to make 50% of them . During a foul shot, a player's foot must be completely behind the foul line . If a player lines up with part of his or her foot on the line, a violation is called and the shot doesn't count . Foul shots are worth one point . </P>

When is a free throw awarded in basketball