What is a technical foul in basketball?
I · Intermediate · Technical, disruptive, flagrant and disqualifying fouls · 11 of 13A technical foul is a foul for behaviour: arguing with referees, taunting, faking a foul, delaying the game or hanging on the ring. The other team gets 1 free throw, then play carries on with whoever had the ball. Two of the more serious kind, category 1, and the player is out of the game.
How it works
| Category | Examples | Counts towards disqualification? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disrespect to referees, officials or opponents; offensive language or gestures; taunting or provoking; waving a hand in front of an opponent's eyes; swinging elbows without contact; faking being fouled | Yes |
| 2 | Delaying the game (touching the ball after a basket, stopping a quick throw-in, coming out late); hanging on the ring; goaltending by a defender on a last free throw | No |
- Penalty: 1 free throw to the opponents, taken at once by any player the head coach chooses.
- Play then resumes with the team that had the ball, or was entitled to it, from where it was.
- A player's technical foul counts among their 5 fouls and as a team foul.
- A technical foul for the behaviour of anyone on the bench is charged to the head coach and is not a team foul.
- Game disqualification for a player: two category 1 technical fouls, two flagrant fouls or one of each.
- Game disqualification for a head coach: two technical fouls for their own behaviour, or three in total including those charged for the bench.
- Referees may warn first, or overlook small unintentional breaches.
Tricky cases
Is flopping a technical foul?
Yes. Faking being fouled, or exaggerating to look fouled, is a category 1 technical foul.
Can a player hang on the ring after a dunk?
Only for a moment, or to avoid injuring a player below. Otherwise it is a category 2 technical foul.
Does the fouled team get the ball after the free throw?
It depends on who had it. A technical foul does not change possession: the team that had the ball keeps it.
Can a coach get a technical foul for a substitute's behaviour?
Yes. It is charged to the head coach, and three such fouls in total disqualify the coach.
Why the rule exists
Referees need a way to control behaviour that is not contact. One free throw is a real cost without changing who has the ball.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIBA rules | As above | A36 |
| Earlier FIBA books | One kind of technical foul, with no categories | C |
From the rule book
FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026, Article 36 and Article 33.16, valid from 1 October 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: FIBA Official Basketball Rules (PDF).