Every whistle in basketball is either a violation or a foul, and knowing which one it is tells you what happens next. Violations are breaches of the playing rules, like taking too many steps or holding the ball too long; the penalty is losing possession. Fouls involve illegal contact or unsporting behaviour; they are recorded against the player and the team and often lead to free throws. This guide follows the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026, valid from 1 October 2026 and used by the EuroLeague, FIBA competitions and leagues worldwide, and notes where the NBA Official Rules 2025-26, NCAA and NFHS high-school rules differ.
Ball-handling violations
Travelling
A player holding the ball may pivot on one foot, but may not move the pivot foot illegally. When gathering the ball while moving, the player is allowed a gather step, often called the zero step, followed by two steps before passing or shooting. A third step is travelling. The NBA applies the same gather-plus-two principle. Starting a dribble requires releasing the ball before the pivot foot leaves the floor.
Double dribble and carrying
A player may not dribble, catch or hold the ball, and dribble again. Dribbling with both hands at the same time is also a double dribble. The 2026 FIBA rules clarify when a player has lost control and may legally start a new dribble: after a shot, after the ball is touched by an opponent, or after a pass or fumble that touches another player. Carrying, also called palming, is letting the ball come to rest in the hand during a dribble.
Out of bounds and kicked ball
The ball is out of bounds when it, or a player holding it, touches the floor on or outside the boundary line. Deliberately kicking or blocking the ball with the leg or foot is a violation; accidental contact is not.
Time violations
| Rule | FIBA | NBA | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shot clock | 24 s; reset to 14 s after an offensive rebound off the ring | 24 s / 14 s | Ball to opponents |
| Backcourt | 8 s to reach the frontcourt | 8 s | Ball to opponents |
| Three seconds (offence) | Max 3 s in the opponents’ restricted area | Max 3 s in the lane | Ball to opponents |
| Defensive three seconds | Not in FIBA rules | Max 3 s in the lane without guarding | Technical foul, 1 free throw |
| Closely guarded | 5 s holding the ball | Applies in limited situations | Ball to opponents |
| Throw-in | 5 s to release | 5 s | Ball to opponents |
The shot clock also resets to 14 seconds in FIBA after certain fouls and kicked-ball violations when fewer than 14 seconds remain and the attacking team keeps the ball in the frontcourt. College basketball uses a 30-second shot clock, and US high schools use a 35-second shot clock where the state association has adopted it.
Other violations
- Backcourt violation: once a team has control in the frontcourt, it may not be the first to touch the ball after it returns to the backcourt.
- Goaltending: a defender touching a shot on its downward flight above the ring. The basket is awarded.
- Basket interference: touching the ball or the ring when the ball is on or within the basket, or reaching through the basket from below. If the defence does it, the points count; if the attack does it, they do not.
- Free-throw violations: the shooter stepping on the line, or players entering the restricted area too early.
Personal fouls and the team penalty
A personal foul is illegal contact: holding, pushing, blocking, charging, illegal use of hands. The result depends on the situation:
- Foul on a shooter: two or three free throws, or one free throw if the basket counts (the “and-one”).
- Non-shooting foul before the penalty: throw-in for the fouled team.
- Offensive (team control) foul: possession to the defence, no free throws.
In FIBA, after a team commits four team fouls in a quarter, every further defensive foul gives two free throws. Fouls in overtime count toward the fourth quarter total.
| Level | Foul out | Team penalty |
|---|---|---|
| FIBA | 5 fouls (incl. technical and flagrant) | 2 free throws from the 5th team foul per quarter |
| NBA | 6 personal fouls | From the 5th team foul per quarter, or the 2nd in the last 2 minutes |
| NCAA men | 5 fouls | One-and-one from the 7th team foul per half; two shots from the 10th |
| NCAA women | 5 fouls | 2 free throws from the 5th team foul per quarter |
| NFHS high school | 5 fouls | 2 free throws from the 5th team foul per quarter |
Keep track of individual and team fouls during your own games on our online scoreboard.
FIBA 2026: disruptive and flagrant fouls
The biggest change in the 2026 FIBA rules is the end of the unsportsmanlike foul. It is replaced by two categories:
- Disruptive foul: unnecessary contact to stop a transition, contact to stop the clock at the end of a period, or contact from behind or the side on a breakaway when no defender is between the attacker and the basket. Penalty: two free throws (or one, two or three if the player was shooting) plus a throw-in at the frontcourt throw-in line. A disruptive foul does not count toward disqualification.
- Flagrant foul: contact that is not a legitimate attempt to play, or that is reckless, violent, dangerous or excessively hard. Same free throws plus possession, but it does count toward disqualification.
The NBA has its own flagrant system: a flagrant 1 for unnecessary contact and a flagrant 2 for unnecessary and excessive contact. Both give two free throws and possession; a flagrant 2 means immediate ejection, as do two flagrant 1 fouls.
Technical fouls and disqualification
FIBA 2026 splits technical fouls into two categories:
- Category 1 (behavioural): disrespecting officials, taunting, faking a foul (flopping), waving hands near an opponent’s eyes, excessive elbow swinging. These count toward disqualification.
- Category 2 (procedural): delaying the game, hanging on the ring, goaltending on the last free throw. These do not count toward disqualification.
A technical foul gives the opponents one free throw. A player is disqualified for two flagrant fouls, two category 1 technical fouls, or one of each, in addition to fouling out with five fouls. In the NBA, two technical fouls mean ejection, and defensive three seconds is also penalised as a technical foul.
Why it matters for statistics
Fouls drawn and turnovers caused by violations shape efficiency ratings. A player who travels three times a game loses as much value as one who misses three shots. Our basketball efficiency calculator turns these box-score numbers into one rating. For the general structure of the game, see our basketball rules guide, and for how all those whistles affect duration, read how long a basketball game lasts.