<P> If a player, coach, or team staff (e.g., doctor, statistician) shows poor sportsmanship, which may include arguing with a referee, that person may get charged with a more serious foul called a technical foul . In the NBA, a technical foul results in one free throw attempt for the other team . In FIBA play, technical fouls result in two free throws in all situations . Under NCAA rules, technical fouls are divided into "Class A" (violent or serious unsportsmanlike conduct) and "Class B" (less egregious violations such as hanging on the rim or delay of game). Class A technicals result in two free throws, and Class B technicals result in one . At all levels, the opposing team may choose any player who is currently on the court to shoot the free throws, and is then awarded possession of the ball after the free throws . Since there is no opportunity for a rebound, these free throws are shot with no players on the lane . </P> <P> Finally, if a referee deems a foul extremely aggressive, or that it did not show an attempt to play the ball, the referee can call an even more severe foul, known as an "unsportsmanlike foul" in international play or a "flagrant foul" in the NBA and NCAA basketball . This foul is charged against the player (and depending on the severity of the offense, can even be ejected), and the opponent gets two free throws and possession of the ball afterwards . Unlike technical fouls, the player fouled must shoot the awarded free throws . </P> <P> Fouls "away from the ball" (fouls that do not occur on the shooter or near the ball) are handled like the second case above in most situations . Many times defenders hold their opponent to prevent them from catching an in - bound pass or fight through screens and thus are called for fouls . These fouls are almost always treated as normal personal fouls . In the NBA, when there are only two minutes left on the clock of either half, off - ball fouls when the fouling team is over the limit are rewarded with one free throw and possession of the ball . It is therefore common for a losing team to deliberately single out its opponent's poor free throw shooters, regardless of their dominance in other aspects of the game (as in the cases of Ben Wallace and Shaquille O'Neal), as the targets of deliberate fouls until the two - minute mark, after which the losing team plays intense defense for the rest of the game; this strategy is known as the "Hack - a-Shaq". It is believed that this rule was instituted because of Wilt Chamberlain . Previously teams had been allowed to foul any player on the court regardless of whether that player had possession of the ball, with only two free throws awarded to the fouled player . This motivated teams to chase poor free throw shooters, such as Chamberlain, around the court in attempt to foul him in an effort to extend the game . To discourage this practice, the NBA changed the rule to award one free throw and possession of the ball to a player who is fouled away from the ball in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter . This rule does not apply in international or NCAA play and in fact plays a very vital strategic role in the NCAA Tournament . </P> <P> Free throws are organized in procession . The shooter takes his place behind the free throw line (5.8 m (19 ft) from the base line, 4.6 m (15 ft) from the basket). All other players must stand in their correct places until the ball leaves the shooter's hands: up to four people in the NCAA rules and three people in the FIBA rules from the defensive team and two people from the shooting team line up along the sides of the restricted area (keyhole, paint, lane). These players are usually the ones that rebound the ball . Three line up on each side . A defensive player always takes the place closest to the basket . </P>

When does the clock start after a free throw