The route of the hand matters
The 2026 FIBA interpretations identify basket interference when a player reaches through the basket from below and touches a shot or free throw above the ring. Whether the ball was merely travelling upwards or downwards does not answer that specific route-of-contact question.
Consider two hands appearing close to a descending ball. One approaches through the open air beside the rim. The other passes up through the net and ring before touching it. A tight ball-only replay can make those different routes disappear.
To understand the second action, follow the hand from below before focusing on the touch. The basket’s position provides the spatial reference. A freeze-frame showing hand and ball together at ring height may not show how the hand arrived there.
Keep this distinct from other restrictions
This does not mean every contact made from beside the basket is legal; other goaltending and interference provisions can apply. It explains one independently relevant condition. A complete viewing discussion should name the observed action rather than arguing only about the ball’s direction or whether it might have scored without the touch.
Questions answered
Is the ball’s direction the only relevant detail?
No. The hand’s route can independently matter.
What camera sequence helps?
One following the hand upward through the basket before contact.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.