NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced on Tuesday, March 31, that starting in the 2026-27 season, there will be a change to the current free throw rules in basketball. In an effort to generate more viewers, the NBA has proposed replacing the traditional foul shot with a pair of three pointers.
Foul shots, or “free throws” have been a pinnacle part of the NBA since their formal introduction in 1957. In 2025, the league average on free throws was around 78%, according to basketballreference.com. However, three point percentages were about half of that. These numbers have remained consistent over the last ten years as well.
NBA viewership numbers have skyrocketed recently as well. With more and more teams relying on the three-point shot, and stars like Tyrese Maxey and Steph Curry burying shots from deep, it is what the new generation wants to see.
“We noticed that the younger generation would rather see three pointers in lieu of free throws,” Silver said. “So starting next season, the typical free throw will be from behind the three point line, and will be worth three points if a foul is committed inside the arc, and four if outside. This also will lead to higher scoring games…”
Silver also noted that he hopes that this will lead to less fouls and stoppages of play, allowing for more basketball to be played. NBA fans have mixed views, a recent survey conducted by an anonymous Eastern student showed that Gen Z viewers generally were in favor of this change, whereas 75% of millennial viewers were against the change.
This statistic does not come as a surprise. The older generation grew up with a hard-nosed,drive to the paint basketball,with players with Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson, whereas the younger generations have grown up relying on the three-pointer, with Steph Curry and Ray Allen’s crucial three-point shots having a place in every fan’s heart. One fan even called the new change “soft” as he felt like it defeated the purpose of playing hard.
So with these changes comes a new era of basketball. The time wasted by foul shots will now require more skill, and maybe even higher scoring games. Time will tell if Silver’s change will be looked at positively or negatively in the future, but for now, we will see a new age of NBA Basketball.
