FIBA 2026 · fouls and free throws
Basketball fouls and free throws: personal, team, technical and flagrant fouls
A practical FIBA 2026 guide to illegal contact, shooting fouls, the team-foul penalty, five-foul disqualification and the updated technical, disruptive and flagrant foul categories.
Personal fouls and the act of shooting
A personal foul is illegal contact with an opponent. If a player is fouled while shooting and the shot is missed, the penalty is normally 2 or 3 free throws depending on the attempted shot. If the basket is made, the basket counts and the shooter normally receives 1 additional free throw.
Team fouls and the penalty situation
A team enters the team-foul penalty situation after committing 4 team fouls in a quarter. Further personal fouls on a player who is not shooting are normally penalised with 2 free throws instead of a throw-in. A foul by the team in control of the ball remains a throw-in for the opponents.
Five fouls and leaving the game
Under FIBA rules, a player who has committed 5 fouls must be informed by a referee and leave the game. This is why the personal-foul count shown during a game matters even before a player reaches the team-foul penalty situation.
Technical, disruptive and flagrant fouls in 2026
The 2026 FIBA rules distinguish two categories of technical fouls, with only one category counting towards game disqualification. They also replace the former unsportsmanlike-foul category with disruptive and flagrant fouls; flagrant fouls count towards game disqualification, while disruptive fouls do not. Exact penalties still depend on the specific rule situation.