This basketball fouls list covers every kind of foul a coach meets, from the common personal foul to the flagrant and technical fouls, and gives the penalty for each at five levels: NFHS (high school), NCAA men, NCAA women, the NBA and FIBA. The books agree on the idea of a foul and disagree on the names, the free throws, the bonus and how many fouls put a player on the bench. Every rule below carries its level and rule number. The current NFHS rulebook is not freely available, so high school lines come from the NCAA's published rules-differences chart, and anything that chart does not cover says to check your state association rulebook. Rule books change each year, so confirm the edition your league uses.
Basketball Fouls List at a Glance
| Foul | What it is | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Personal (common) foul | Illegal contact with an opponent | All five levels |
| Blocking foul | Illegal contact that impedes an opponent's progress | Named in NCAA men, NCAA women and FIBA |
| Charging foul | Pushing or moving into an opponent's torso | Named in NCAA men, NCAA women and FIBA |
| Holding, pushing, hand-checking | Contact that restricts or moves an opponent | All books read (NFHS: check your state association) |
| Shooting foul | A personal foul on a player trying to score | All books read (NFHS: check your state association) |
| Player-control, team-control or offensive foul | A foul by the dribbler, the shooter or a player whose team has the ball | NCAA men (player-control, team-control), NCAA women and NBA (offensive), NFHS (team-control), FIBA (team in control) |
| Illegal screen | Contact by a screener who is moving or out of position | NCAA men, NCAA women, NBA, FIBA |
| Loose-ball foul | A foul when no team controls the ball | NCAA men, NBA |
| Double, multiple, simultaneous, false double | Fouls committed at about the same time | Double at every level. Multiple and false double in NFHS and NCAA men |
| Flagrant foul | Excessive, severe or unnecessary contact | NFHS, NCAA men and women (flagrant 1 and 2), NBA (penalty 1 and 2), FIBA |
| Intentional foul | A high school category (NFHS) next to the flagrant foul | NFHS |
| Disruptive and disqualifying foul | FIBA categories above a personal foul | FIBA |
| Clear path, transition take, away-from-the-play, punching | NBA fouls with their own penalties | NBA |
| Technical foul | Conduct or administrative fouls, mostly without contact. See the technical foul guide | All five levels |
Personal Fouls and Illegal Contact
Each book defines a personal foul as illegal contact with an opponent. The NCAA men's book limits it to a live ball (Rule 4 Sec. 15 Art. 2). The NCAA women's book adds the dead-ball moment right after a made basket (Rule 10 Sec. 10 Art. 1). The NBA calls it illegal contact after the ball becomes live and before the horn (Rule 4 Sec. IV(a)), and FIBA counts it whether the ball is live or dead (Art. 34.1.1).
The common forms of illegal contact, by level:
- Holding. Contact that interferes with an opponent's freedom of movement. NCAA men Rule 4 Sec. 19, NCAA women Rule 10 Sec. 9, FIBA Art. 33.14.
- Pushing. Forcing or trying to force an opponent to move. FIBA Art. 33.15. The NCAA books say contact from behind on a player with the ball is pushing (NCAA men Rule 10 Sec. 1 Art. 9, NCAA women Rule 10 Sec. 10 Art. 10). FIBA calls it illegal guarding from the rear (Art. 33.13).
- Hand-checking and hands on the ball handler. NCAA men Rule 10 Sec. 1 Art. 4 makes it a foul to keep a hand or forearm on the player with the ball, put two hands on him, keep jabbing him or use an arm bar on a dribbler. NCAA women Rule 10 Sec. 10 Art. 5 adds body contact that breaks the dribbler's rhythm, speed, balance or quickness. The NBA says contact by the defender on the player with the ball is not legal, with forearm exceptions near the basket and in post-ups (Rule 12B Sec. I(b)). FIBA calls a hand placed and kept on an opponent a foul, and repeated jabbing too (Art. 33.11). See hand checking.
- Illegal screen. In the NCAA, NBA and FIBA books, a screener who is moving at contact, or who sets up too close to a defender, is charged with the foul. Every level's version is on the illegal screen page.
Blocking, Charging and the Restricted Area
The block or charge call turns on whether the defender had a legal guarding position before contact. In the NCAA books that means both feet on the court and the torso facing the opponent, with no time and distance needed against the player with the ball (NCAA men Rule 4 Sec. 17 Art. 4, NCAA women Rule 10 Sec. 4 Art. 4). FIBA uses the same two tests and adds that contact must be on the torso (Art. 33.3, 33.4). The NBA comments let a defender establish a legal position in a dribbler's path regardless of speed and distance (Comments on the Rules II.C). Against a player without the ball, time and distance apply. The NCAA books cap the distance the defender must give at two strides (Rule 4-17.5 men, Rule 10-4.5 women), and FIBA sets it at never less than one normal step (Art. 33.5).
| Level | Area under the basket | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| NFHS | No restricted area. Legal position may be established anywhere on the court | DIFF, Guarding |
| NCAA men | 4-foot arc. A secondary defender inside it cannot draw a player-control foul on a player who is dribbling, shooting or has released a pass or try, and contact is a block unless the offensive player leads with a foot or knee, wards off with an arm, or stops and then initiates contact. The restriction does not cover a set defender who jumps straight up in legal verticality to block a shot | Rule 4 Sec. 31, Rule 10 Sec. 1 Art. 14 |
| NCAA women | The area directly under the basket. A defender there cannot draw a charge, with the same foot, knee and arm exceptions | Rule 4 Sec. 27, Rule 10 Sec. 4 Art. 7, Rule 10 Sec. 10 Art. 15 |
| NBA | 4-foot arc from the center of the ring. No charge on a secondary defender there when the offensive player goes directly to the rim, except on a catch in the Lower Defensive Box | Comments on the Rules II.C |
| FIBA | No-charge semi-circle. Contact by an airborne shooter or passer with a defender inside it is not a team-control foul unless the offense uses hands, arms, legs or body illegally | Art. 33.10 |
For teaching the defender's side, see what a charge is and what a blocking foul is.
Shooting Fouls and Free Throws
| Level | Made try | Missed two | Missed three | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFHS | Check your state association rulebook | Check your state association rulebook | ||
| NCAA men | Basket counts, 1 free throw | 2 | 3 | Rule 10 Sec. 1 Penalty b, d, e |
| NCAA women | Basket counts, 1 free throw | 2 | 3 | Rule 10 Sec. 10 Penalty b, c, d |
| NBA | Basket counts, 1 free throw | 2 | 3 | Rule 12B Sec. I Penalties (3), (4) |
| FIBA | Basket counts, 1 free throw | 2 | 3 | Art. 34.2.2 |
When the shot starts matters. The NBA says the act of shooting begins when the player starts his shooting motion, and on drives and moving shots it begins at the gather (Rule 4 Sec. XI). The NCAA men's book uses continuous motion, from the start of the normal throwing movement until the ball is in flight (Rule 4 Sec. 8). For lane spacing and the free-throw clock, see the free throw rules.
Offensive and Team-Control Fouls
A foul by the team with the ball goes by different names. The NCAA men's book splits it into a player-control foul (by the dribbler, holder or an airborne shooter) and a team-control foul (by any player on the team in control) (Rule 4 Sec. 15 Art. 2.a). The NCAA women's book calls both an offensive foul (Rule 10 Sec. 10 Art. 1.a), and so does the NBA (Rule 4 Sec. IV(d)). The penalties differ more than the names.
| Level | Free throws? | Counts as a team foul? | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFHS | Never shot on a team-control foul | Check your state association rulebook | DIFF, Free Throws Shot |
| NCAA men | No, except a team-control foul during a loose ball (a fumble, a deflection or a released try) when the opponent is in the bonus | Yes, personal fouls count toward the team total | Rule 10 Sec. 1 Penalty a, c |
| NCAA women | No, a throw-in | Yes, one team foul per personal foul | Rule 10 Sec. 10 Penalty a |
| NBA | No, the ball on the sideline and no points | No team foul (unless flagrant or punching) | Rule 12B Sec. VII(a) |
| FIBA | No, a throw-in for the opponents | Yes, a player's personal foul is a team foul | Art. 42.1.1, 42.2.2 |
More on this family: offensive foul and defensive foul.
Loose-Ball, Double and Multiple Fouls
- Loose-ball foul. A foul when no team controls the ball, as on a rebound. NBA Rule 4 Sec. IV(e) and Rule 12B Sec. VIII: a personal and a team foul, the ball on the sideline, or one free throw plus a penalty free throw in the penalty. NCAA men Rule 4 Sec. 15 Art. 2.a.3 makes it a kind of common foul and says a loose-ball foul on an offensive player is also a team-control foul. See loose-ball foul.
- Double foul. Two opponents foul each other at about the same time. No free throws at NCAA men (Rule 10 Sec. 1 Penalty f), NCAA women (Rule 10 Sec. 11), the NBA (Rule 12B Sec. VI) or FIBA (Art. 35.2).
- Simultaneous, multiple and false double fouls. A simultaneous foul is a foul by each team at about the same time, not against each other (NCAA men Rule 4 Sec. 15 Art. 2.d, NCAA women Rule 10 Sec. 11 Art. 2). A multiple foul is two or more teammates fouling one opponent at about the same time, and a false double is a foul by each team with the second before the clock restarts (NCAA men Rule 4 Sec. 15 Arts. 4 to 6).
- NBA-only fouls. A clear-path foul (two free throws and the ball, Rule 12B Sec. I Penalties (6)), a transition take foul (one free throw and the ball, Rule 12B Sec. XI), an away-from-the-play foul in the last two minutes or before a throw-in is released (one free throw and the ball, Rule 12B Sec. X), and a punching foul (two free throws, the ball and ejection, Rule 12B Sec. IX).
- FIBA throw-in foul. A defender's foul on a player on the court while the ball is out for a throw-in, in the last 2:00 of the fourth quarter and overtime, gets 1 free throw and the ball (Art. 34.1.2, 34.2.3).
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Flagrant, Intentional and Disruptive Fouls
Every level has a category above the common foul, and the names do not line up.
| Level | Names | Penalty | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFHS | Intentional personal, flagrant personal | Ejection on a single flagrant foul. Check your state association rulebook for free throws | DIFF, Types of Fouls, Disqualification/Ejection |
| NCAA men | Flagrant 1 (excessive or unnecessary), flagrant 2 (excessive and severe or extreme) | Two free throws and the ball. A flagrant 2 also ejects. A third flagrant 1 disqualifies | Rule 4 Sec. 15 Art. 2.c, Rule 4 Sec. 12 Art. 1 |
| NCAA women | Flagrant 1, flagrant 2 | Two free throws (three on a missed three) and a throw-in at the division line. Two flagrant 1 fouls eject. A flagrant 2 ejects | Rule 10 Secs. 13, 14 |
| NBA | Flagrant foul penalty (1), unnecessary. Penalty (2), unnecessary and excessive | Two free throws and the ball. Penalty (2) ejects, and two flagrant fouls in a game eject. Confirmed by instant replay | Rule 12B Sec. IV |
| FIBA (2026) | Disruptive foul, flagrant foul, disqualifying foul | Two free throws (or the shot rule) and a frontcourt throw-in. Two flagrant fouls, or a flagrant and a category 1 technical, disqualify. A disqualifying foul removes the player at once | Arts. 37, 38, 39 |
The NCAA men's flagrant 1 examples include pushing or holding from behind to stop a score, fouling a player away from the ball to stop the clock, contact with a player making a throw-in, and hooking an opponent over or under the arm (Rule 4 Sec. 15 Art. 2.c.1). FIBA's 2026 disruptive foul covers contact that is not a legitimate attempt to play the ball and stops a transition, stops the clock at the end of a quarter, or comes from behind or the side on a player with no opponent between him and the basket (Art. 37.1.1). FIBA's 2026 book renamed these categories, so a FIBA coach reading an older summary will see "unsportsmanlike foul" where the new book says disruptive or flagrant. More detail is on the flagrant foul and intentional foul pages.
Technical Fouls
Technical fouls cover conduct and administrative infractions, from disrespect toward an official to too many players on the floor. The NCAA men's book splits them into administrative, Class A and Class B (Rule 4 Sec. 15 Art. 3). Each level's list and penalty is in the technical foul guide.
Team Fouls and the Bonus
| Level | Period | Free throws start | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFHS | Quarter | Two free throws from the fifth team foul. No one-and-one | DIFF, Bonus Free Throws |
| NCAA men | Half | One-and-one from the seventh team foul, two free throws from the tenth | Rule 10 Sec. 1 Penalty c, d.3 |
| NCAA women | Quarter | Two free throws from the fifth team foul | Rule 10 Sec. 10 Penalty c.1 |
| NBA | Quarter | One free throw plus a penalty free throw after four team fouls (after three in overtime). A team under its quota gets one foul without penalty in the last two minutes | Rule 12B Sec. V(a) |
| FIBA | Quarter | Two free throws after four team fouls in a quarter | Art. 42.1.1, 42.2.1 |
What counts toward the total differs. The NBA charges no team foul on an offensive foul (Rule 12B Sec. VII(a)) or on a double personal foul (Sec. VI). FIBA counts every personal, technical, disruptive, flagrant and disqualifying foul by a player as a team foul (Art. 42.1.1). The NFHS counts personal, technical, intentional and flagrant fouls toward the team total (DIFF, Count Towards).
How Many Fouls to Foul Out
| Level | Disqualified at | What counts | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFHS | Fifth foul | Personal and technical fouls | DIFF, Disqualification/Ejection |
| NCAA men | Fifth foul | Personal fouls and Class A technicals, or a third flagrant 1 | Rule 4 Sec. 12 Art. 1 |
| NCAA women | Fifth foul | Personal and flagrant 1 fouls and all technical fouls | Rule 4 Sec. 12 Art. 1 |
| NBA | Sixth personal foul | Personal fouls | Rule 3 Sec. I(a) |
| FIBA | Fifth foul | A player's fouls, with a separate game disqualification for two flagrant fouls or two category 1 technicals | Art. 41.1, 41.4 |
For the rest of the rulebook, see the basketball rules hub, the rules, terms and positions section, the violations list and traveling.
Questions Coaches Ask
What are the types of fouls in basketball?
Personal fouls (including blocking, charging, holding, pushing, hand-checking and illegal screens), offensive or team-control fouls, loose-ball fouls, double and multiple fouls, flagrant fouls and technical fouls. The NFHS also has intentional fouls, FIBA has disruptive and disqualifying fouls, and the NBA has clear-path, transition take, away-from-the-play and punching fouls.
How many fouls to foul out in the NBA?
Six. NBA Rule 3 Sec. I(a) disqualifies a player on his sixth personal foul. The NFHS, NCAA and FIBA use five.
How many fouls before free throws in high school basketball?
According to the NCAA's published comparison chart, the NFHS gives two free throws from a team's fifth foul in each quarter and has no one-and-one. Check your state association rulebook for any state changes.
Is an illegal screen a foul or a violation?
A foul. It is a personal foul on the screener, and at most levels it is an offensive or team-control foul with no free throws. The illegal screen page has the rule at each level.
Does an offensive foul count as a team foul?
In the NBA, no (Rule 12B Sec. VII(a)). In the NCAA women's book and in FIBA, yes. The NCAA men's book counts personal fouls toward the team total. At the NFHS, check your state association rulebook.
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