What gets a player thrown out of a 3x3 game?
A · Advanced · Violations and fouls · 5 of 6Two unsportsmanlike fouls, or one disqualifying foul. An unsportsmanlike foul is contact that is "excessive, hard or dangerous". It gives two free throws and counts as two team fouls. A disqualifying foul is "any flagrant unsportsmanlike action". The player leaves, and the opponents get two free throws and the ball.
How it works
- Unsportsmanlike foul: excessive, hard or dangerous contact. Holding a player who controls the ball may also be judged unsportsmanlike.
- First one by a player: 2 free throws, with no possession afterwards.
- Second one by the same player: 2 free throws and possession. The player is disqualified for the rest of the game.
- If the shot went in: the goal counts and the free throws are added.
- Disqualifying foul: a flagrant unsportsmanlike act by a player or the substitute, including violence towards an opponent or a referee.
- Its penalty: the player must leave. 2 free throws, then a check-ball for the other team.
- Who shoots: the fouled player if there was contact, any player if there was not.
- Team fouls: each unsportsmanlike or disqualifying foul adds two.
- Afterwards: the organiser may disqualify the player from the rest of the event, and may disqualify the whole team.
- Fighting: a substitute who leaves the seat during a fight is disqualified, unless they do so to help restore order.
The glossary has the unsportsmanlike foul, the disqualifying foul and team fouls.
Tricky cases
Does one unsportsmanlike foul send a player off?
No. The second one does.
After a first unsportsmanlike foul, who has the ball when the free throws are done?
It depends on the last free throw. No possession is awarded, so play goes on from that free throw as it would after any other.
A disqualified player's team has no substitute. Does it play on with two?
Yes. A team loses by default only when all its players are injured or disqualified, or when it leaves the court.
Can a referee change an ordinary foul to an unsportsmanlike one after watching a replay?
Yes, where a replay system is in use and the supervisor has approved it. The referees may upgrade or downgrade a foul.
Why the rule exists
Ordinary fouls carry no personal limit, so the rules need a separate way to deal with contact that could hurt someone. The double count towards team fouls means a hard foul brings the whole team closer to the penalty, and a second one costs the team a quarter of its squad.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First unsportsmanlike foul | 2 free throws | Art. 37.2.2 |
| Second by the same player | 2 free throws, possession and disqualification | Art. 37.2.3; Art. 37.2.5 |
| From the tenth team foul | Every foul already brings 2 free throws and possession | Art. 41.2.1 |
| Five-a-side basketball | Different names from 2026, and free throws followed by a throw-in | ../5x5/ set |
From the rule book
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (valid as of 1 January 2026), Articles 21.1, 37.1, 37.2, 38.1 to 38.3, 39 and 47.5. Official document:FIBA Official 3x3 Basketball Rules (PDF).