How many fouls before a player is out?
B · Beginner · Fouls and free throws · 8 of 9A player who commits 5 fouls must leave the game and cannot return. All of a player's fouls count: personal, technical, disruptive and flagrant. The team brings on a substitute, so it stays at five players unless it has nobody left on the bench.
How it works
- At 5 fouls the referee tells the player, who must leave at once and be replaced within 30 seconds.
- The player becomes an "excluded player" and may stay on the bench.
- A further foul by an excluded player is charged to the head coach.
- Separately, a player is disqualified for the rest of the game for two category 1 technical fouls, two flagrant fouls, or one of each, and for any disqualifying foul. A disqualified person must go to the dressing room or leave the building.
- If a team runs out of substitutes it plays on with fewer than five. With fewer than two players it loses by default.
Tricky cases
Is it five fouls or six?
Five under FIBA rules, in a 40-minute game. The NBA, with a longer game, allows six.
Can a team play with four players?
Yes, if fouls or injuries leave it with no eligible substitute. It can play on down to two.
Does a fouled-out player have to leave the bench?
No. Only a disqualified player must leave the bench area.
Why the rule exists
A personal limit stops one player fouling all game on a team's behalf, and it makes foul trouble part of how a coach must manage a match.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIBA rules | 5 fouls | A41; A4.1.3 |
| NBA | 6 personal fouls | C |
From the rule book
FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026, Articles 4.1.3, 19.3.6, 21, 36.2.3 and 41, valid from 1 October 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: FIBA Official Basketball Rules (PDF).