What happens when a shooter is fouled in 3x3?
B · Beginner · Violations and fouls · 5 of 6One free throw if the missed shot was from inside the arc, two if it was from behind it. If the shot goes in, the points count and the shooter gets one free throw more. A foul on a player who is not shooting gives the other team a check-ball, until the fouling team reaches seven team fouls.
How it works
- A contact foul: illegal contact with an opponent, such as holding, blocking, pushing, charging or tripping.
- Not shooting: check-ball to the other team.
- Shooting, missed, inside the arc: 1 free throw.
- Shooting, missed, behind the arc: 2 free throws.
- Shooting, made: the goal counts, plus 1 free throw.
- Each free throw: worth 1 point, taken within 5 seconds of receiving the ball, from behind the free-throw line.
- Who shoots: the fouled player. If they are injured or disqualified, the substitute. If there is none, any team-mate.
- Where the others stand: in the rebound places along the restricted area, or behind the arc and above the line of the free-throw line.
- No fouling out: a player is not removed for a number of fouls. Ordinary fouls are not even recorded against the player, only against the team.
- Offensive foul: check-ball to the other team, and no free throws.
The glossary has the foul on a shooter, the free throw, the offensive foul and team fouls.
Tricky cases
Can a player foul out of a 3x3 game?
No, not by collecting ordinary fouls. A player is disqualified only for two unsportsmanlike fouls or a disqualifying foul.
A shooter is fouled behind the arc and the shot goes in. How many free throws?
One. The two points count and one free throw is added.
The fouled player wants to be substituted. Who takes the free throws?
The fouled player, before leaving the court.
After the last free throw is made, does play restart with a check-ball?
No. It is treated like any made basket: the other team takes the ball under the basket and clears it. A check-ball follows only when possession is part of the penalty.
Why the rule exists
The free throws stand in for the shot the foul spoiled, so their number follows the shot's value: one for a one-point attempt, two for a two-point attempt. Counting fouls against the team and not the player suits a squad of four, which could not survive losing players to a foul limit.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIBA 3x3 rules | 1 or 2 free throws by the value of the shot | Art. 34.2.2 |
| From the seventh team foul | 2 free throws for every foul, shooting or not | Art. 41.2.1 |
| Under-12 | Recommended: no team foul penalty | Appendix E |
| Five-a-side basketball | 2 or 3 free throws, and a player is out after five fouls | ../5x5/ set |
From the rule book
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (valid as of 1 January 2026), Articles 30.2.1, 32.1, 34.1, 34.2, 41.1.3, 41.2.2 and 43.1 to 43.3. Checked 14 October 2026 against a Korean-language copy; check the English text before publishing. Official document: FIBA Official 3x3 Basketball Rules (PDF).