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Meaning & use

foul shot

noun·Everydaysport

Last updated

UK/ˌfaʊl ˈʃɒt/
US/ˌfaʊl ˈʃɑːt/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablesport

    In basketball, a free throw: an unopposed shot at the basket awarded after a rule is broken.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say a foul shot, two foul shots, or the foul shots.

    Patterns

    • take a foul shot
    • make a foul shot
    • miss a foul shot
    • award a foul shot

    He stepped to the line and sank both foul shots.

    The referee awarded a foul shot after the defender pushed her.

    She is the team's best foul shot shooter, hitting nearly nine out of ten.

  2. nouncountablesport

    In sports such as soccer, a free kick or similar restart given after an opponent's foul.

    Grammar: Countable and usually used with the or a: the foul shot, a foul shot.

    Patterns

    • take a foul shot
    • win a foul shot

    The winger won a foul shot just outside the penalty area.

    Their captain curled the foul shot over the wall and into the net.

Word forms

pluralfoul shots

Common combinations

make a foul shot
He made the foul shot with the game tied.
miss a foul shot
She rarely misses a foul shot in the final minutes.
foul shot line
The players lined up behind the foul shot line.
shoot foul shots
They spent the whole practice shooting foul shots.
award a foul shot
The umpire awarded a foul shot to the visiting team.

Synonyms and how they differ

free throw
The usual American term in basketball; 'foul shot' means the same but sounds slightly older or more informal.
penalty shot
Used in hockey and soccer for a one-on-one chance against the goalkeeper, not for a basketball free throw.
free kick
The soccer equivalent; use it for kicks, and 'foul shot' only when the sport calls the restart a shot.

Word family

foul noun
An illegal action by a player, the reason a foul shot is given.
foul verb
To commit an illegal action against an opponent.

Commonly confused: foul shot or free throw?

foul shot vs free throw

The standard basketball term in modern commentary; 'foul shot' is an older synonym, so learners may hear it but rarely need to use it.

Practice

The referee blew the whistle and awarded a ______ after the defender hit the shooter's arm.

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