An official allows a player to shoot free throws but later realizes the player wasn't fouled. What is the correct next step?

The correct next step in this situation is to void the attempts and reset the game. When an official realizes a player was not actually fouled, allowing the free throw attempts to stand would contradict the principles of fair play and integrity in the game. The responsibilities of officials include ensuring that the rules are adhered to, and any free throws taken without a legitimate cause need to be nullified to maintain the correct score and game status. Voiding the attempts ensures that the game reflects an accurate and fair outcome based on the actual events that occurred on the court.

In this context, the other options would not address the rules effectively. Validating the attempts as a score or restarting the game without acknowledging the error would undermine the authority of the officials and the integrity of the gameplay. Assigning a technical foul incorrectly would also pose an issue, as it applies penalties to the wrong team based on a misjudgment. Allowing the player to shoot again would simply perpetuate the error rather than correcting it, ultimately misrepresenting the game's flow and fairness.