Basketball rules rules, for watching

Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.

Checked 13 October 2026

Settling an argument? Search all 33 rules

Where these rules come from

Tag	Document
A plus number	FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026, version 1.0, valid from 1 October 2026: Articles 1 to 51
App C, App D, App F	The same book's appendices: C protest procedure, D classification of teams, F instant replay system
Diagram 7	Players' positions during free throws, read from the image in the PDF
R	"Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it
C	Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule

All checked on 13 October 2026. Not covered: FIBA's appendix on basketball equipment (basket height, backboard and ball sizes), which is a separate document and is not saved; the FIBA Official Interpretations; NBA, WNBA and NCAA rules; 3x3 basketball; wheelchair basketball (IWBF rules); each competition's own regulations on suspensions and medical protocols.

Not covered: FIBA's appendix on basketball equipment (basket height, backboard and ball sizes), which is a separate document and is not saved; the FIBA Official Interpretations; NBA, WNBA and NCAA rules; 3x3 basketball; wheelchair basketball (IWBF rules); each competition's own regulations on suspensions and medical protocols.