Official Basketball Rules 2017

As approved by

FIBA Central Board

Mies, Switzerland, 4th July 2017

Valid as of 1st October 2017

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October 2017 OFFICIAL BASKETBALL RULES 2017 Page 3 of 90

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................. 3

TABLE OF DIAGRAMS ................................................................................................................................ 4

RULE ONE THE GAME .............................................................................................................................. 5

Art. 1 Definitions ..................................................................................................................................... 5

RULE TWO PLAYING COURT AND EQUIPMENT ................................................................................ 6

Art. 2 Playing court ................................................................................................................................. 6Art. 3 Equipment ................................................................................................................................... 11

RULE THREE - TEAMS ............................................................................................................................... 12

Art. 4 Teams .......................................................................................................................................... 12Art. 5 Players: Injury ............................................................................................................................. 15Art. 6 Captain: Duties and powers ..................................................................................................... 15Art. 7 Coaches: Duties and powers ................................................................................................... 15

RULE FOUR - PLAYING REGULATIONS ................................................................................................. 17

Art. 8 Playing time, tied score and extra periods ........................................................................... 17Art. 9 Beginning and end of a period or the game ......................................................................... 17Art. 10 Status of the ball ........................................................................................................................ 18Art. 11 Location of a player and an official ........................................................................................ 19Art. 12 Jump ball and alternating possession ................................................................................... 19Art. 13 How the ball is played ............................................................................................................... 21Art. 14 Control of the ball ...................................................................................................................... 21Art. 15 Player in the act of shooting .................................................................................................... 21Art. 16 Goal: When made and its value .............................................................................................. 22Art. 17 Throw-in ...................................................................................................................................... 23Art. 18 Time-out ...................................................................................................................................... 24Art. 19 Substitution ................................................................................................................................. 26Art. 20 Game lost by forfeit ................................................................................................................... 27Art. 21 Game lost by default ................................................................................................................. 28

RULE FIVE - VIOLATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 29

Art. 22 Violations ..................................................................................................................................... 29Art. 23 Player out-of-bounds and ball out-of-bounds ...................................................................... 29Art. 24 Dribbling ...................................................................................................................................... 29Art. 25 Travelling ..................................................................................................................................... 30Art. 26 3 seconds .................................................................................................................................... 31Art. 27 Closely guarded player ............................................................................................................. 31Art. 28 8 seconds .................................................................................................................................... 31Art. 29 24 seconds .................................................................................................................................. 32Art. 30 Ball returned to the backcourt ................................................................................................ 33Art. 31 Goaltending and Interference ................................................................................................. 34

RULE SIX - FOULS ...................................................................................................................................... 36

Art. 32 Fouls ............................................................................................................................................. 36Art. 33 Contact: General principles ..................................................................................................... 36Art. 34 Personal foul ............................................................................................................................... 41

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Art. 35 Double foul .................................................................................................................................. 41Art. 36 Technical foul ............................................................................................................................. 42Art. 37 Unsportsmanlike foul ................................................................................................................ 44Art. 38 Disqualifying foul ....................................................................................................................... 44Art. 39 Fighting ........................................................................................................................................ 45

RULE SEVEN - GENERAL PROVISIONS ................................................................................................. 47

Art. 40 5 fouls by a player ...................................................................................................................... 47Art. 41 Team fouls: Penalty ................................................................................................................... 47Art. 42 Special situations ...................................................................................................................... 47Art. 43 Free throws ................................................................................................................................. 48Art. 44 Correctable errors ..................................................................................................................... 50

RULE EIGHT -OFFICIALS, TABLE OFFICIALS, COMMISSIONER: DUTIES AND POWERS ........... 52

Art. 45 Officials, table officials and commissioner ........................................................................... 52Art. 46 Crew chief: Duties and powers ............................................................................................... 52Art. 47 Officials: Duties and powers .................................................................................................... 53Art. 48 Scorer and assistant scorer: Duties ...................................................................................... 54Art. 49 Timer: Duties ............................................................................................................................... 55Art. 50 Shot clock operator: Duties ..................................................................................................... 56

A - OFFICIALS SIGNALS .......................................................................................................................... 58

B - THE SCORESHEET ............................................................................................................................... 66

C - PROTEST PROCEDURE ....................................................................................................................... 74

D - CLASSIFICATION OF TEAMS ............................................................................................................ 75

E - MEDIA TIME-OUTS ............................................................................................................................. 81

INDEX TO THE RULES .................................