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

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; 5-second closely-guarded, 10-second backcourt, 3-second lane

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...

5 personal fouls = foul out. Common personal fouls: blocking, charging, pushing, holding, hand-checking, illegal screen.

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

Same uniform standards as the men's variant: team uniform with school logo and unique numbers, athletic shoes for indoor surface. Mouthguards recommended; jewelry prohibited except per religious-exemption framework.

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

Bench, scorer's table, and 28-foot coach's box layout match the men's specification.

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...

Unlimited substitutions at dead-ball stoppages on the scorer's signal; substituted players may re-enter.

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...

Four 10-minute quarters (adopted 2015-16; distinguishes NCAA W's from NCAA M's halves); 2-minute breaks between Q1/Q2 and Q3/Q4; 15-minute halftime; 5-minute overtime periods until a winner is determined

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...

2-point field goal inside the arc; 3-point field goal beyond the 22'1.75" arc; 1-point free throw; Most points wins; tied at end of regulation = 5-min OT periods until winner

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 ...

5 personal fouls = foul out. Common personal fouls: blocking, charging, pushing, holding, hand-checking, illegal screen.

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...

Concussion protocol identical to NCAA men's: medical observers and team medical staff have authority to remove a player; graduated return-to-play assessment required. Flagrant-2 ejection framework protects against head/neck contact.

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 — resets to 30 on possession change; resets to 20 on offensive rebound; Shot must contact the rim before the clock expires; failure is a violation

Substitutions may be made during any dead ball situation when the game clock is stopped; The substitute must report to the scorer's table and wait to be beckoned onto the court by an official; A substitution opportunity begins when the ball becomes dead, the game clock is stopped, and the officia...

Unlimited substitutions at dead-ball stoppages on the scorer's signal; substituted players may re-enter.