Rule Book

An NBA game is played in four 12-minute quarters, with five players per side on the court at a time. A team scores by putting the ball through the opponent's hoop: a basket inside the three-point arc is worth 2 points, a basket beyond the arc is worth 3 points, and each made free throw is worth 1 point. The team with more points when time expires wins. A tie at the end of regulation goes to a 5-minute overtime period, repeated as needed until someone leads after a period.

The offense has a 24-second shot clockThe offense must attempt a shot that hits the rim within 24 seconds (14 after an offensive rebound). to attempt a shot that hits the rim; after an offensive rebound, the clock resets to 14 seconds rather than the full 24. A team has 8 seconds to advance the ball from its backcourt across half court. Inbounding the ball must happen within 5 seconds. On offense, no player may remain in the painted lane for more than 3 consecutive seconds. The game clock stops on made baskets in the final two minutes, fouls, violations, and timeouts.

A personal foul is illegal contact with an opponent; six personal fouls disqualify (foul out) a player for the game. A foul committed against a player in the act of shooting sends them to the free-throw line for one shot per point the basket was worth (two for a two-pointer, three for a three). Once a team commits 5 fouls in a quarter, it is in the team bonusOnce a team commits 5 fouls in a quarter, the opponent shoots free throws on every subsequent non-shooting foul., and the opponent shoots free throws on every subsequent non-shooting foul. A technical foul (unsportsmanlike conduct) or a flagrant foul (excessive contact) awards free throws and, for flagrants, possession; two of either results in ejection.

TravelingMoving illegally with the ball without dribbling, such as taking too many steps. is moving illegally with the ball without dribbling — taking too many steps or lifting and replanting the pivot foot. A double-dribble is dribbling, stopping, then dribbling again, or dribbling with two hands. Carrying (palming) is turning the hand under the ball mid-dribble. Goaltending is touching a shot on its downward arc or above the rim, which awards the basket automatically. A backcourt violation is failing to advance past half court in 8 seconds or returning the ball to the backcourt after crossing. Offensive three-seconds penalizes a player who camps in the lane.

The box score tracks each player's contributions: PTS (points), REB (rebounds), AST (assists), STL (steals), BLK (blocks), TO (turnovers), and +/- (the team's net points while that player is on the floor). Shooting splits are reported as FG% (field goal percentage), 3P% (three-point percentage), and FT% (free-throw percentage). Reaching double digits in two categories is a double-doubleReaching double digits (10+) in two statistical categories in a single game.; in three categories — most often points, rebounds, and assists — is a triple-doubleReaching double digits (10+) in three categories — most often points, rebounds, and assists., the hallmark of an all-around game.

Active features for the 2026 season: the play-in tournament determines the final two playoff seeds in each conference, pitting the 7th through 10th seeds against each other. The in-season NBA Cup runs group-stage games early in the year before a single-elimination knockout. Each team gets one coach's challenge per game to review a called foul, out-of-bounds, or goaltending call. Players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for major end-of-season awards. The transition take foul — a deliberate foul to stop a fast breakA quick transition push up the floor after a rebound or steal, aiming to score before the defense sets. — is penalized with a free throw plus possession.