Section 7: Violations & Penalties
Traveling
FIBA's traveling rules are stricter than the NBA's:
- Gather step: FIBA recognizes a gather step (step "zero") since 2017, allowing a player receiving the ball while moving to take two additional steps. However, the interpretation is generally stricter than the NBA's, where the gather step is more liberally applied.
- Pivot foot: Once a player stops and establishes a pivot foot, lifting the pivot foot before releasing the ball for a pass or shot is traveling
- Euro step: Legal in FIBA (the two steps after the gather), but officials may call traveling if the player takes additional steps
Personal Fouls
- Limit: 5 personal fouls per player (NBA allows 6)
- Types: Contact fouls (pushing, holding, charging, blocking, hand-checking), shooting fouls, offensive fouls, loose ball fouls
- Penalty: The fouled team receives a throw-in, unless the foul was on a shooter (free throws) or the team is in the bonus (free throws from the 5th team foul per quarter)
Disruptive Foul (Art. 37)
An illegal contact with an opponent that does not rise to the level of a flagrant foul, but disrupts the flow of the game and places the opponent at a disadvantage (Art. 37.1.1). It applies to:
- Stopping a transition: unnecessary contact by a defender who is not legitimately attempting to directly play the ball, to stop the offensive team's progress in transition. This applies until the offensive player starts the act of shooting.
- Stopping the clock: unnecessary contact anywhere on the court, not legitimately attempting to directly play the ball, to stop the game clock and/or shot clock at the end of a quarter or overtime.
- Clear path to the basket: illegal contact from behind or laterally on an opponent who is progressing towards the basket with no opponents between them and the basket, while that player controls the ball, is attempting to gain control of it, or the ball has been released on a pass to them (until the act of shooting starts).
- Penalty (Art. 37.2): counts as a team foul. 2 free throws if the player was not shooting; if shooting, the goal counts plus 1 free throw, or 2 or 3 free throws if missed. Followed by a throw-in from the throw-in line in the team's frontcourt.
- Disqualification: disruptive fouls do not count towards game disqualification.
Flagrant Foul (Art. 38)
An illegal contact that violates the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play and, by its nature and/or severity, exceeds the limits of a personal or disruptive foul (Art. 38.1.1). The criteria are: not a legitimate basketball play against an opponent, with or without the ball; a reckless, violent or dangerous act that causes or may cause injury; or excessive, hard contact in an effort to play the ball or an opponent.
- Penalty (Art. 38.2.2): counts as a team foul, with the same free throws as a disruptive foul, followed by a throw-in from the throw-in line in the team's frontcourt (a jump ball in the centre circle if it occurs at the start of the first quarter).
- Disqualification (Art. 38.2.3): a player is disqualified for the remainder of the game after 2 flagrant fouls, 2 category 1 technical fouls, or 1 of each. When the disqualifying foul is a flagrant foul, only that foul is penalised (Art. 38.2.4).
Replaced in 2026: under the 2024 edition these situations were all unsportsmanlike fouls, penalised with 2 free throws plus possession, and 2 unsportsmanlike fouls, 2 technical fouls, or one of each disqualified a player. This note is kept for readers checking games played before October 1, 2026.
Technical Foul
- Penalty (Art. 36.3.2): 1 free throw to the opponents, administered immediately. Play then resumes with the team that had control of the ball, or was entitled to it, when the technical foul was committed.
- Two categories (Art. 36.2.1): category 1 covers behavioural fouls such as disrespectful dealing with officials or opponents, baiting or taunting, obstructing an opponent's vision, excessive swinging of elbows without contact, and faking being fouled. Category 2 covers behavioural or administrative fouls such as delaying the game, hanging on the ring, and defensive goaltending during the last free throw.
- Disqualification (Art. 36.2.3): 2 category 1 technical fouls, 2 flagrant fouls, or 1 of each. Category 2 technical fouls do not count towards game disqualification.
- Head coach (Art. 36.2.4): disqualified after 2 category 1 technical fouls for personal unsportsmanlike behaviour (‘C’), or after 3 category 1 technical fouls arising from the behaviour of other persons permitted to sit on the team bench (all ‘B’/‘BD’, or including one ‘C’).
Disqualifying Foul
Any flagrant unsportsmanlike action by players, substitutes, head coaches, assistant coaches, excluded players or accompanying delegation members (Art. 39.1.1). The offender must go to the team's dressing room for the rest of the game or leave the building (Art. 39.3.2) and may face additional disciplinary review. Penalty: 2 free throws for a non-contact foul; for a contact foul, the same free throws as a personal foul on the fouled player; followed by a throw-in from the throw-in line in the team's frontcourt (Art. 39.3.3–39.3.4).
Other Violations
- 3-second violation: An offensive player may not remain in the restricted area (paint) for more than 3 consecutive seconds — same as NBA
- 5-second violation: On throw-ins, a player must release the ball within 5 seconds. A closely guarded player holding the ball must pass, shoot, or dribble within 5 seconds.
- 8-second violation: Backcourt rule — the offensive team must advance past half court within 8 seconds (NBA uses 10 seconds)
- 24-second violation: Shot clock violation — same as NBA
- Backcourt violation: Once the ball has been established in the frontcourt, it may not be returned to the backcourt — same as NBA