58 Fun Facts About Basketball Rules

How many players from each team are allowed on the court at one time?

Substitutions are unlimited, but they can only be made while play is stopped.

How high above the floor is the rim of a regulation basket?

The rim is 10 feet above the floor, the height of the running-track balcony railing where James Naismith hung his first goals in 1891; the game has never moved it.

How many seconds does an NBA team have to attempt a shot after gaining possession?

The NBA shot clock gives a team 24 seconds to get a shot off; it was introduced for the 1954-55 season to end the deliberate stalling that had made games crawl.

Which team owner is credited with inventing the NBA shot clock?

Danny Biasone, owner of the Syracuse Nationals, pushed the league to adopt the shot clock for the 1954-55 season after stalling tactics had made games unwatchable.

Under NBA and FIBA rules, to what does the shot clock reset after an offensive rebound?

The shot clock resets to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound; FIBA adopted the rule in 2014 and the NBA followed in 2018-19, so a putback no longer earns a full fresh possession.

How long did the shot clock become in NCAA men's basketball in 2015-16?

College started with 45 seconds in 1985-86, cut it to 35 in 1993-94, and to 30 in 2015-16.

How long is each quarter in an NBA game?

Each NBA quarter lasts 12 minutes, giving a 48-minute regulation game; FIBA plays 10-minute quarters and NCAA men play two 20-minute halves.

How many personals disqualify a player from an NBA game?

Six personal fouls disqualify an NBA player; when the sixth is called he must leave the game for good and a substitute replaces him.

How wide is the free-throw lane on an NBA court?

The NBA lane is 16 feet wide; it was widened in stages during the 1950s and 1960s to push dominant centers farther from the basket, and FIBA's lane is a near-identical 4.9 metres.

How far is the NBA three-point arc from the center of the basket at its farthest point?

The NBA arc is 23 feet 9 inches from the basket's center at the top of the key and flattens toward the corners, where the sideline forces a shorter line, which is why corner threes are prized.

Which short-lived competition, founded in 1961, was the first to institute the three-point shot?

The ABL, Abe Saperstein's league, played with a three-point line from its 1961-62 debut and folded during its second season; the ABA revived the shot in 1967-68.

In which season did the NBA adopt the three-point line?

The NBA adopted the three-point line for the 1979-80 season, initially as a one-year trial, years after the ABA had made the shot its signature; Chris Ford is credited with the first NBA three.

For three seasons starting in 1994-95, the NBA shortened its three-point line to what uniform distance?

The NBA moved its whole arc in to a uniform 22 feet from 1994-95 through 1996-97 to boost scoring, then restored the original distance in 1997-98.

How far is the FIBA three-point arc from the center of the basket?

FIBA's arc is 6.75 m from the basket's center, a distance adopted in 2010 that replaced the old 6.25 m line; the WNBA moved to the same distance in 2013.

Under NBA and FIBA rules, how many steps may a player take without dribbling before it is traveling?

Moving or changing the pivot foot also counts as traveling, and the penalty is a turnover.

What is the penalty for goaltending a field-goal attempt?

The shot counts as made when goaltending is called and the points are awarded; a defender may not touch a shot on its downward flight to the rim or while it is above the cylinder.

Which dominant center prompted the NCAA to outlaw goaltending in 1944?

George Mikan, DePaul's 6-foot-10 center, swatted so many shots away at the rim that the NCAA outlawed goaltending for the 1944-45 season.

Which foul is called when a driver runs into a defender who is not set?

Blocking is the defensive foul called when a defender who has not established legal guarding position makes contact with a driving opponent; had he been set, the call would go against the driver.

How many free throws does a technical foul award the opposing team in the NBA and FIBA?

One free throw is awarded for a technical foul in the NBA and in FIBA play, taken by any player the offended team chooses, after which play resumes from the point of interruption.

How many free throws does a player get when fouled while missing a shot from beyond the arc?

If the shot goes in despite the foul, the basket counts and the shooter gets one bonus attempt instead: the classic and-one.

How far is the free-throw line from the backboard?

The free-throw line is 15 feet from the face of the backboard; the shooter must keep both feet behind it until the ball leaves the hands, or the attempt is waved off.

In the NBA, which team puts the ball in play to start the fourth quarter?

The team that won the opening tip inbounds to begin the fourth quarter, while the team that lost it opens the second and third, so each side starts two periods with possession.

What is the radius of the restricted-area arc under the basket, where no charge can be drawn?

The restricted area is a semicircle with a radius of 4 feet, measured from the point directly below the basket's center; a defender standing inside it cannot draw a charge on a drive.

What are the dimensions of an NBA court?

An NBA court measures 94 by 50 feet, the same dimensions the NCAA uses; FIBA courts are slightly smaller, at roughly 92 by 49 feet.

What is the diameter of a regulation basketball rim?

A regulation rim is 18 inches in inside diameter, nearly double the width of the ball; NBA rims sit on breakaway hinges so dunks do not shatter the board.

What is the circumference of the official men's basketball?

The official men's basketball, designated size 7, measures 29.5 inches in circumference, the size used in the NBA, NCAA men's play and FIBA senior men's competition.

Which company has supplied the NBA's official game ball since 2021, as it did from 1946 to 1983?

Wilson made the league's first ball in 1946 and returned as official supplier for the 2021-22 season; Spalding held the contract for the 38 seasons in between.

Under NBA and FIBA rules, how many seconds does a team have to advance the ball past half court?

A team has 8 seconds to get the ball across half court under NBA and FIBA rules; FIBA cut the old ten-second limit in 2000 and the NBA followed for 2001-02.

In what year was the offensive three-second rule introduced?

The three-second rule arrived in 1936 after a rough 1935 Kentucky-NYU game at Madison Square Garden in which NYU's physical defense smothered Kentucky star Leroy Edwards.

The NBA's defensive three-second violation was added in 2001-02 alongside which other change?

Legalizing zone defenses for 2001-02 meant scrapping the illegal-defense rules, so the league added a defensive three-second count to stop a big man camping in the lane.

What is the penalty for a defensive three-second violation in the NBA?

One free throw plus possession is the penalty: the violation counts as a team technical foul rather than a personal foul, and the offense keeps the ball afterward.

Under the Trent Tucker Rule, a catch-and-shoot is impossible with how much time or less left?

With 0.3 seconds or less on the clock only a tip-in can score; the rule followed Tucker's 1990 Knicks winner over the Bulls, released with 0.1 showing.

The 1967-76 NCAA and high school ban on dunking was nicknamed after which player?

Lew Alcindor, the future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was dominating at UCLA when the ban arrived in 1967, and the rule carried his name until dunking returned in 1976.

Which is a Flagrant 2 foul in the NBA?

Unnecessary and excessive contact defines a Flagrant 2, which brings immediate ejection; a Flagrant 1 is merely unnecessary contact, and FIBA's equivalent is the disqualifying foul.

In the NBA, which team foul in a quarter first puts the opponent in the bonus?

Fifth is the team foul that triggers the NBA bonus in a quarter; every later defensive foul earns a pair of free throws, and inside the 2:00 mark the trigger drops to the second foul.

Which defensive tactic did the NBA crack down on from the 2004-05 season?

Hand-checking, using a hand or forearm to steer a perimeter ball-handler, was the target of the NBA's 2004-05 points of emphasis, a crackdown that opened the floor for guards.

When two NBA opponents wrestle to a stalemate over possession, how is it settled?

Jump ball is how the NBA settles a held ball: the players involved jump at the nearest circle, while the NCAA and FIBA hand the ball over by the alternating-possession arrow instead.

In what season did NCAA men's basketball begin using the alternating-possession arrow?

NCAA men adopted the alternating-possession arrow for the 1981-82 season to settle held balls; FIBA later followed suit and even starts overtime periods with the arrow.

How many timeouts is an NBA team allowed in a regulation game?

Seven 75-second timeouts are allowed in an NBA regulation game, a limit set for 2017-18 when the old full and 20-second timeouts were merged; at most a pair may be used inside the final 3:00.

Under FIBA rules, who is allowed to call a timeout?

The coach only may request a FIBA timeout, and he does so at the scorer's table rather than signalling a referee; players on court cannot call timeouts, unlike in the NBA.

What violation is called when a dribbler lets the ball rest in his palm mid-dribble?

Carrying is called when a dribbler's hand slides under the ball so that it rests in the palm; the dribble is considered to have ended, and continuing it is an illegal dribble.

Which season introduced the coach's challenge to the NBA?

The coach's challenge arrived in the NBA for 2019-20 on a trial basis and was later made permanent; from 2023-24 a successful first challenge earns a second.

Which of these calls can an NBA coach challenge?

A goaltending call can be challenged, as can a basket-interference ruling, an out-of-bounds call, or a foul whistled against the challenging coach's own team; other calls are off limits.

What happens if a player dribbles with both hands at the same time?

A double dribble is called when a player dribbles with both hands at once or starts a second dribble after the first has ended, and the ball goes to the other team.

What is the penalty if an offensive player deliberately kicks the ball?

Loss of possession is the penalty for an offensive player deliberately kicking the ball, with a throw-in for the defense; punching the ball with a fist is treated the same way.

How long is halftime under NBA, FIBA and NCAA rules?

Halftime lasts 15 minutes in the NBA, FIBA and NCAA alike; US high schools, which play shorter games, typically use a ten-minute interval.

What is the NBA title for the head official of a game?

Crew chief is the NBA's title for the lead official; the other members of the officiating crew are designated the referee and the umpire, and the crew chief has the final say on disputes.

Under James Naismith's original 1892 rules, what could a player NOT do with the ball?

Run with it is what Naismith's third rule forbade: the player had to throw the ball from the spot where he caught it, allowance being made for a man running at speed.

What was used in place of a purpose-made basketball when the game was first played?

A soccer ball was used in the first games in December 1891; purpose-made basketballs, slightly larger and laced like a football, did not appear until the mid-1890s.

What did the janitor bring James Naismith when he asked for boxes to use as goals?

Peach baskets were what the janitor produced instead of boxes; their bottoms were left intact at first, so the ball had to be poked out with a pole after each score.

What is called when the offense sends the ball back across the midcourt line?

A backcourt violation is called when the offense, having brought the ball into the frontcourt, is the last to touch it before it crosses back over the midcourt line, and the defense gets a throw-in.

How many times may a jumper legally tap the ball on an NBA tip-off?

Twice is the limit: a jumper may tap the ball no more than twice and may not catch it until it has touched the floor, a non-jumper or the basket.

In the last two minutes of an NBA half, an off-ball foul by a team over the limit gives the offense what?

One free throw and possession go to the offense, with any player on the floor allowed to shoot; the rule was built to blunt Hack-a-Shaq, fouling a poor shooter away from the play.

Before a 2014 rule change, FIBA jersey numbers were restricted to which range?

Four to fifteen was the permitted range of FIBA jersey numbers until October 2014, chosen so referees could signal a fouler's number on their fingers; the change allowed 0, 00 and 1 to 99.

After a timeout in the final 2:00, where may an NBA offense inbound the ball?

The 28-foot hash mark in the frontcourt is where the offense may inbound after a timeout in the final 2:00 of the fourth quarter or overtime, the so-called advance rule.

How long is an overtime period in most US high school basketball games?

Four minutes is the NFHS overtime length, half of a regulation eight-minute quarter; the NBA, FIBA and NCAA all play longer extra periods.

What is the circumference of the official women's basketball, the 'size 6' ball?

The size 6 women's ball measures 28.5 inches around and weighs about 20 ounces; it is used in the WNBA, NCAA women's play and FIBA women's competition.

The dedicated 3x3 ball is as big as the women's ball, but how heavy is it?

Same as the men's size is the weight: the 3x3 ball has a size 6 circumference but a size 7 mass; the format debuted at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games and got a world championship in 2012.