Community
Free Throw Championship
Knights of Columbus councils sponsor the Free Throw Championship for boys and girls ages 9-14 to provide an athletic outlet and encourage the values of sportsmanship and healthy competition. Kids compete within their own gender and age, and progress from local level to district, regional and state/province competition.
TIME AND PLACE
January 18, 2026
After the 8:00, 10:00 and 1:00 masses
ELIGIBILITY
The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship is open to all boys and girls in your community, ages 9 to 14. Age eligibility is determined by the age of the contestant as of January 1. Paperwork that determines age eligibility of participants should not be collected or copied. High school-age athletes should be advised to check with their school athletic directors or their jurisdiction high school athletic associations regarding possible eligibility conflicts.
ENTRIES
All competitors must register using the official Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship Entry Form/Score Sheet (#1598). Preregistration is recommended, but not required. The entry form/score sheet must accompany participants through all levels of competition. Your council number must be clearly written on the form. Each participant may compete in only one council competition. Winners will
progress to the district, regional and jurisdictional levels of competition. International champions are chosen on the basis of jurisdiction-level results.
Ages 9, 10, 11 (Boys & Girls Competitions)
Use a size 5 or 6 basketball and shoot from a 12-foot foul line at a 10-foot-high basket. (NOTE: The normal foul line is 15 feet from the basket. Foul lines at 12 feet from the basket for 10- and 11-year-old divisions should be clearly marked with athletic or masking tape prior to the competition.)
Ages 12, 13, 14 (Girls Competitions)
Use size 6 basketball and shoot from the regulation foul line 15 feet from a 10-foot-high basket.
Ages 12, 13, 14 (Boys Competitions)
Use a size 6 or 7 basketball and shoot from the regulation foul line 15 feet from a 10-foot-high basket.
SCORING
Normal rules of basketball regarding free throws apply for all levels of competition. Free throw violations include stepping on or over the line prior to the ball reaching the rim, or shots rebounding off the “out of bounds” basket support and equipment. Scorers should record baskets made and missed on each attempt according to the instructions on the entry form/score sheet. It is recommended that multiple scorers be assigned to each basket for scoring accuracy and comparison. All scores should be verified before the next contestant is allowed to shoot. The use of videotape recording of the competition is not recommended to resolve questions on scoring totals. The judges and scorers and actual entry form/score sheets should determine final scores.
- Each contestant receives three warm-up tosses followed by 15 consecutive free throw attempts from the appropriate age-designated foul line (see the Court/Equipment/Age sections for proper ball sizes and foul line distances).
- To break a tie, contestants take a second round of five free throws. No warm-up tosses are permitted for the tie breaker rounds. Successive rounds of five free throws each continue until a winner emerges.