Basketball (FIBA) vs Basketball (NCAA Men) — Same Game, Different Rules

FIBA has implemented comprehensive concussion management procedures for all Level 1 and Level 2 competitions: Recognition: Any player suspected of sustaining a concussion must be immediately removed from the game for evaluation; Assessment: The FIBA Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) is used...

NCAA medical observers and team medical staff have authority to remove a player from the game for actual or suspected concussion. Removed players are subject to a graduated return-to-play assessment before being cleared for subsequent competition.

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...

Traveling, double dribble, carrying, goaltending, basket interference; Out of bounds: ball awarded to the opposing team at the point closest to where it went out; 5-second closely-guarded, 10-second backcourt, 3-second lane violations

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 bonu...

A player is disqualified ("fouls out") after committing 5 personal fouls; Common personal fouls: blocking, charging, pushing, holding, hand-checking, illegal screen; Shooting fouls: 2 or 3 free throws depending on the foul location; and-one if the basket counts

FIBA approves specific balls for official competition. The Molten BG5000 is the official game ball for major FIBA competitions.

Men's ball: size 7, circumference 29.5 inches (74.9 cm), weight 22 oz (623 g); NCAA-approved/NFHS-spec leather or composite cover; orange color standard; Basket: 18-inch diameter ring at 10 feet (3.05 m) height

The FIBA court is smaller than the NBA court: Length: 28 meters (91.86 feet) — NBA is 28.65m (94 feet); Width: 15 meters (49.21 feet) — NBA is 15.24m (50 feet); Surface: Hardwood or synthetic surface with uniform bounce characteristics

Team bench seating along one sideline with the scoring/timing table opposite. Coach's box defined for the head coach with a 28-foot designated coaching area extending from the baseline.

FIBA teams have a smaller roster than NBA teams: Roster: Maximum 12 players eligible per game (NBA allows 13 active + 2 inactive); On court: 5 players per team at all times; Captain: Each team must designate a captain on the scoresheet. The captain is the only player who may address officials abo...

NCAA men's basketball uses a coaches'-challenge framework allowing a head coach to request video review of designated reviewable situations (out-of-bounds calls in the last 2 minutes, basket interf...

A FIBA game consists of 4 × 10-minute quarters (40 minutes total), compared to the NBA's 4 × 12-minute quarters (48 minutes): Quarters: 4 periods of 10 minutes each; Half-time interval: 15 minutes (can be extended to 20 minutes for major events); Between quarters: 2-minute interval between the fi...

The game begins with a jump ball at the center circle. Subsequent jump-ball situations are resolved by the alternating-possession rule — the arrow indicates which team gets possession.

This is a major rule difference from the NBA: Two-point field goal: A shot made from inside the three-point line scores 2 points; Three-point field goal: A shot made from behind the 6.75m (22.15ft) three-point arc scores 3 points. The shooter's feet must be entirely behind the line at the point o...

Field goal inside the three-point arc: 2 points; Field goal beyond the three-point arc: 3 points; Free throw: 1 point

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 ...

A player is disqualified ("fouls out") after committing 5 personal fouls; Common personal fouls: blocking, charging, pushing, holding, hand-checking, illegal screen; Shooting fouls: 2 or 3 free throws depending on the foul location; and-one if the basket counts

FIBA has implemented comprehensive concussion management procedures for all Level 1 and Level 2 competitions: Recognition: Any player suspected of sustaining a concussion must be immediately removed from the game for evaluation; Assessment: The FIBA Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) is used...

NCAA medical observers and team medical staff have authority to remove a player from the game for actual or suspected concussion. Removed players are subject to a graduated return-to-play assessment before being cleared for subsequent competition.

Display: Must be visible on all four sides of the court, positioned above each backboard and on the scorer's table; Duration: 24-second countdown — same as NBA

30-second shot clock (reduced from 35 in 2015-16 season); Resets to 30 on change of possession; resets to 20 on offensive rebound (since 2018-19); The team in possession must attempt a shot that contacts the rim before the shot clock expires; failure is a shot-clock violation

Jump ball: Only used to start the game (first quarter) and each overtime period; Alternating possession: All subsequent held ball and jump ball situations are resolved using the alternating possession arrow. The team that did not gain possession from the opening tip gets the next alternating poss...

The game begins with a jump ball at the center circle. Subsequent jump-ball situations are resolved by the alternating-possession rule — the arrow indicates which team gets possession.

FIBA teams have a smaller roster than NBA teams: Roster: Maximum 12 players eligible per game (NBA allows 13 active + 2 inactive); On court: 5 players per team at all times; Captain: Each team must designate a captain on the scoresheet. The captain is the only player who may address officials abo...

5 players on the court per team at any time; Roster: typically 13-15 players for NCAA D1 men's basketball; Substitutions: unlimited, made at dead-ball stoppages on the scorer's signal