FIBA 2026 · TIME-OUTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Basketball time-outs and substitutions: when they are allowed and how they work
A practical FIBA 2026 guide to time-out limits, substitution opportunities and the late-game situations that determine when a request can be granted.
How many time-outs does a team get?
Under FIBA rules, each time-out lasts 1 minute. A team may use 2 time-outs in the first half, 3 in the second half, with no more than 2 of those when 2:00 or less remains in the fourth quarter, and 1 in each overtime. Unused time-outs do not carry over to the next half or overtime.
When can a time-out be granted?
A time-out opportunity normally begins when the ball becomes dead, the game clock is stopped and the referee has finished communicating with the scorer’s table. It also exists after a successful last free throw and, for the non-scoring team, after a made basket. The opportunity ends when the ball is at a player’s disposal for a throw-in or first free throw.
When are substitutions allowed?
A substitute requests entry at the scorer’s table. Substitution opportunities generally open when the ball is dead and the game clock is stopped, and after a successful last free throw. When 2:00 or less remains in the fourth quarter or an overtime, a made basket creates a substitution opportunity for the non-scoring team.
Late-game limits and re-entry
In the last 2:00 of the fourth quarter and each overtime, the scoring team cannot receive a time-out or substitution immediately after its own made basket unless a referee has interrupted the game. A player who has just left, or a substitute who has just entered, normally must wait until the ball becomes dead again after the game clock has run before changing again.