Review of The Main Basketball Rules

National Basketball Association, Also known as the (NBA), June 6, 1946. It makes the NBA interesting and intense.

The Players Rules

A team consists of 5 players but may start with 4 players. A team must have 4 players on the court at all times. Exception: Three players are allowed if a player cannot continue due to an injury or he/she has fouled out of the game.

When a team has forfeited, the opposing team must have at least 4 players checked in to receive a win, unless the forfeit was decided upon well before game time and both teams were notified.

Substitutions must be reported to the scorer before entering the game. Substitutes may enter the game only when the official acknowledges them. Penalty: Technical foul.

Teams must wear shirts with the same shade of color and each shirt must have a different number. The size of each number must be at least six inches.

All players must wear non-marking rubber-soled athletic shoes.

Jewelry of any kind (friendship bracelets, chains, rings or earrings) may not be worn. Penalty: Technical Foul.

Casts (plaster, metal or other hard substances in their final form) or any other item judged to be dangerous by the supervisor, official or athletic trainer may not be worn during the game. Knee braces made of hard, unyielding substances covered on both sides with all edges overlapped and any other hard substance covered with at least 1/2 inch of slow recovery rubber or similar material will be allowed.

Length of Game and Timing

There will be two twenty minute halves of continuous running time. Clock stops for time outs or official time outs (e.g. for injuries or retrieving a ball). Clock is not stopped for violations. Exception: During the last two minutes of the second half, the cl

Time Outs

Each team will have four, one minute, time outs per game with a limit of two per half. After each time out, the official should record the number of the player who called the time out and the time it was called.

Time outs may only be called by the team with possession of the ball or during a dead ball situation.

Time outs in excess of the allotted number may be requested and shall be granted during regulation playing time or during any overtime period at the expense of a technical foul. The technical foul must be given even if the official was unaware that the time out was excessive.

One time out per overtime is allowed. Time outs from regulation play do not carry over into the overtime.

Violations

Back Court: Teams will have ten seconds to cross the half-court line. Once the ball has been established across the half court line (both feet and the ball), it is a violation to cross back over into the back court. Penalty: Turnover.

Three seconds: An offensive player cannot be inside of or in contact with the free throw lane for more than three seconds while the ball is in his/her team’s front court. Penalty: Turnover.

Five Seconds: If a player is closely guarded (within six feet) in the front court and holds the ball for more than five seconds, or dribbles the ball for more than five seconds then a violation will be called. Penalty: Turnover.

Kicking: Kicking the ball is a violation only when it is an intentional act; accidentally striking the ball with the foot or leg is not a violation.

Throw In Violation

The thrower shall not leave the designated throw in spot until the ball has crossed the plane of the boundary, except on the baseline after a made basket. Penalty: Turnover.

The thrower must pass the ball into the court within five seconds of the start of a throw in. Penalty: Turnover.

The thrower may step on but not over the sideline.

The opponent of the thrower cannot reach through the throw in boundary plane and foul the thrower. Penalty: Intentional Foul.

The opponent of the thrower cannot reach through the throw in boundary plane and touch or dislodge the ball. Penalty: Technical Foul.

The opponent of the thrower cannot cross the end line or its imaginary plane. This is a delay of game. The team should be warned on the first offense and then penalized with a technical foul on each subsequent offense.

Fouls

A player shall be allowed 5 personal fouls per game. On the fifth personal, that player shall be removed from the game. A personal fouls is a player foul that involves illegal contact with an opponent while the ball is live.

A double foul is a situation in which two opponents commit personal fouls against each other at approximately the same time. In the case of a double foul, fouls are recorded, no free throws are awarded, and play shall resume at the point of interruption. This means the team in possession of the ball at the time of the fouls will get the ball out of bounds.

An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul that may or may not be premeditated and is solely based on the severity of the act. Intentional fouls include, but are not limited to:

1. Contact that reutilizes an opponent’s obvious competitive advantage.
2. Contact away from the play with an opponent’s who is clearly not involved in the play.
3. Contact that is not a legitimate attempt to play the ball/player specifically designed to stop the clock or keep it from starting.
4. Excessive contact with an opponent while playing the ball.

A flagrant foul may be a personal or technical foul of a violent or savage nature or a technical non-contact foul, which displays unacceptable conduct. If a flagrant foul occurs the player is ejected from the game.

When a player control (charging) foul is committed, no points can be scored.

6.6 A technical foul is a foul by a non-player, or a non-contact foul by a player; an intentional or flagrant contact foul while the ball is dead.

One technical foul against a player or coach can result in immediate ejection of that person from the game. Two technical fouls constitute immediate ejection from the game and playing area.

Dunking is legal during the game only. Dunking or touching the rim during warm ups or in a dead ball situation will result in a technical fourlock will be stopped for all dead ball situations.

2.2 When a team is shooting free throws and a time out is called, the clock will start when the ball is touched after a throw in on a made basket or when the ball is touched in bounds on a missed basket. The clock continues to run on technical fouls unless a time out has been called.

Three minute intermission between halves.

If necessary during the playoffs only, a 2 minute overtime shall be played to determine a winner. Clock stops on all dead ball situations. The overtime period will be repeated until a winner is declared. There will be a 1 minute break between each overtime. Mercy Rule: 35 point lead at or after halftime or 15 points at the 2-minute mark.