Basketball Referee Signals: Foul Signals and Calls by Level

Basketball referee signals from the official NBA, NCAA and FIBA charts: how a foul is reported, foul signals by level, and violation, scoring and timeout signals.

Basketball referee signals are set by each level's official chart, and this page describes them in words from the NBA, NCAA men's and FIBA books, covering how an official reports a foul, every common foul signal by level, the violation and scoring signals and the timeout and substitution signals.

Basketball referee signals tell the players, the benches and the scorer's table what was called without a word. Each level publishes its own chart: the NBA rulebook prints its referee hand signals, the NCAA men's and women's books carry a signals appendix, and FIBA's rules carry Appendix A, which says its illustrated signals are the only valid ones. Most signals look alike across levels, but several do not, and a few mean different things at different levels. High school signals can be checked with your state association.

Watch the whole report, not the first motion. On a foul the official stops the clock, then tells the table who fouled, what the foul was and what follows: free throws or the direction of the throw-in.

How an Official Reports a Foul

The NCAA men's and women's books list the official's duty on a foul in one line: signal the timer to stop the game clock, designate the offender to the official scorer, and indicate with fingers the number of free throws (Rule 2 Sec. 7 Art. 12). FIBA's chart has a signal for each part: stopping the clock for a foul, the player's number, the type of foul and the penalty. Put together, a foul report looks like this:

Stop the clock for a foul. A clenched fist raised overhead. The NBA calls it the personal foul signal, the NCAA men's chart the stop clock for foul signal, and FIBA's chart the stop the clock for foul signal ("one clenched fist"). An open palm raised is the plain stop-the-clock signal in the NCAA men's chart and in FIBA.
Show the player. The NBA official holds up the player's number. FIBA's chart sets how to show every number with the hands: the right hand alone for 1 to 5, the right hand showing five and the left hand 1 to 5 for 6 to 10, a clenched right fist with the left hand showing 1 to 5 for 11 to 15, and other two-digit numbers one digit at a time, the tens digit first with the reverse hand and then the units digit with the open hand.
Show the foul. The type-of-foul signal, from the table below.
Show the penalty. One, two or three fingers for the number of free throws, or a point in the direction of play for a throw-in. FIBA's chart points in the direction of play, arm parallel to the sidelines, after a foul with no free throws, and a clenched fist toward the direction of play after a foul by the team in control of the ball.

FIBA also strongly recommends that officials back up the signals with words when reporting to the table, in English in international games. The fouls themselves are explained on basketball fouls list.

Basketball Foul Signals by Level

The NBA and FIBA charts describe each signal in words, and the NCAA men's chart shows each one as a drawing.

Foul	NBA	NCAA men	FIBA
Blocking	Hands on hips	Both hands on the hips	Both hands on hips (also an illegal screen by the offense)
Charging	Clenched fist, pushed forward	Pushing or charging: both hands pushed forward with open palms	Charging with the ball: clenched fist strikes the open palm
Player-control or team-control foul		One hand behind the head, then a point in the direction of play	Foul by the team in control of the ball: clenched fist pointed toward the offending team's basket
Pushing	Imitate a push	Same signal as charging	Pushing or charging without the ball: imitate a push
Holding	Grasp wrist	One hand grasps the wrist of the other, raised arm	Grasp wrist downward
Illegal use of hands	Strike wrist	One hand strikes the other wrist	Strike wrist
Hand checking	Arm straight out, the other hand grabbing the wrist	Named in the chart	Grab palm and forward motion
Double foul	Crossed clenched fists above the head	Both arms straight out to the sides with clenched fists (the same signal is the media timeout)	Wave clenched fists on both hands
Technical foul	Form a T	The hands form a T	Form a T, showing palms
Flagrant foul		Flagrant 1 or 2: forearms crossed above the head	Grasp wrist upward
Hit to the head		A hand to the top of the head	Imitate the contact to the head
Loose ball foul	Arms extended to shoulder level
Transition take foul	Arms extended at shoulder level with clenched fists
Flopping	Touch arm to shoulder, then extend arm forward, palm up	Named in the chart	Fake a foul: lower the forearm twice
Shooting foul		Named in the chart	Clenched fist, then the number of free throws

A blank cell means that chart has no separate signal by that name. The NCAA men's chart also pictures tripping, chucking, pinning a defender, dislodging with the knee or the lower body, excessive contact, a defender who jumped from one spot to another, the vertical cylinder and landing space. FIBA adds illegal contact to the hand, hooking, the illegal cylinder, excessive swinging of the elbow, the disruptive foul, the disqualifying foul (clenched fists on both hands) and the pass-off after a foul.

The NCAA women's chart names its foul signals differently: hack or hit on the arm, blocking, holding, charging or pushing, a punch for an offensive foul, chucking the cutter, hand checking, two hands on the ball handler or dribbler, armbar, double foul, flagrant 1, flagrant 2, technical, restricted-area blocking foul, hit to the head, hook or wrap, tripping and kneeing.

Basketball referee signals diagram of a player driving from the left wing into a help defender who steps into his path below the left elbow

Block or charge. 2 drives from the left wing and X5 steps into his path. A block is shown with both hands on the hips in the NBA, NCAA men's and FIBA charts. A charge is shown differently at each level (see the table).

Screening fouls are on illegal screen basketball. The rules behind the call are on what is a blocking foul and what is a charge in basketball, and the other fouls on technical foul, flagrant foul and loose ball foul.

Basketball referee signals diagram of a post player setting a ball screen at the top of the key as the ball handler dribbles left

Illegal screen. 5 screens X1 and 1 dribbles left off him. If 5 moves into X1 or leans into his path, FIBA's chart shows the offensive foul with both hands on the hips, the same signal as a block. The NBA chart has its own signal for a screen set out of bounds: arms outstretched and crossed in front of the chest.

Basketball Referee Signals That Differ by Level

A coach who moves between levels, or watches the NBA and coaches college or international rules, should know the signals that change meaning.

The T. In the NBA, a T formed with the hands is a technical foul, and the timeout is an open palm. In FIBA a T with the index finger shown is a charged time-out, and a T showing the palms is a technical foul.
Arms out with clenched fists. In the NCAA men's chart it is a double foul or a media timeout. In FIBA, open arms with clenched fists is a media time-out. In the NBA, arms at shoulder level with clenched fists is a transition take foul.
The charge. A fist pushed forward in the NBA, open palms pushed forward in the NCAA men's chart, and a fist into the open palm in FIBA.
Grasping the wrist. Holding in the NBA and in FIBA when the grasp is downward. Grasping the wrist upward is FIBA's flagrant foul.

Violation Signals

Violation	NBA	FIBA
Traveling	Rotate fists	Rotate fists
Illegal dribble (double dribble)	Patting motion, call team color	Patting motion with the palm
Carrying the ball		Half rotation with the palm
Three seconds	Offense: fingers sideways. Defense: chop down two times, then the technical foul signal	Wave the arm, show 3 fingers
5 seconds, 8 seconds		Show 5 fingers, show 8 fingers
Shot clock	Tap the head	Fingers touch the shoulder
Ball returned to the backcourt		Wave the arm in front of the body
Goaltending	"Flag" from the wrist	Rotate the finger, extend the index finger over the other hand with a circle (goaltending or basket interference)
Basket interference	Rotate finger, wipe out basket	Same as goaltending
Out of bounds, direction	Point the direction, call team color	Point in the direction of play, arm parallel to the sidelines
Jump ball or held ball	Thumbs up	Thumbs up, then point in the direction of the alternating possession arrow

The NCAA men's chart pictures three-second, five-second, 10-second, kicking, excessive swinging of the elbows, traveling, illegal-dribble, backcourt or palming and carrying, shot-clock and held-ball signals, with a 20-second reset signal. The rules behind them are on traveling in basketball, double dribble, what is a carry, the 3 seconds rule, backcourt violation, shot clock rules, goaltending rules and jump ball rules, with the full list on basketball violations list.

Basketball referee signals diagram of an offensive post player standing in the lane while his team holds the ball on the left wing

Three seconds. 5 stands in the lane while his team has the ball in the frontcourt. The three-second signal differs by level: fingers held sideways in the NBA, a wave of the arm with three fingers shown in FIBA.

Scoring Signals

Three-point attempt and goal. In the NBA the official raises one arm on the attempt and the other arm if the goal is good. FIBA's chart is three fingers extended, one arm for the attempt and both arms when it is successful. The NCAA men's chart pictures a three-point attempt signal and a three-point successful signal.
One and two points. FIBA's chart shows one or two fingers, flagged from the wrist.
Cancel the score or the play. In the NBA, shift the arms across the body. In FIBA, a scissor-like action with the arms, once across the chest. The NCAA men's chart pictures a no score signal.

Timeout, Substitution and Clock Signals

The timeout signal changes by level. In the NBA it is an open palm, and a T formed with the hands is a technical foul. In NCAA men's games a 30-second timeout is shown with both hands raised and the fingertips on the shoulders, and a 60 or 75-second timeout with the hands together in front of the chest, then both arms straight out to the sides. In FIBA a charged time-out is a T formed with the hands with the index finger shown. For high school, check your state association. The full timeout rules are on basketball timeout rules.

Substitution. In FIBA, cross the forearms. To bring the substitute onto the court, an open palm waved toward the body. The NCAA men's chart pictures a beckon substitute signal.
Start the clock. A chop of the hand in FIBA. The NBA's time-in is a chop of the hand to the side.
Replay. In the NBA, twirl a finger. FIBA's instant replay review is a rotating hand with the index finger extended horizontally.

The rest of the rules, level by level, start on basketball rules for beginners and basketball rules and regulations.

Questions Coaches Ask

What are the basketball foul signals?

The official stops the clock with a clenched fist raised, then shows the player's number, the type of foul and the penalty (free throws or the direction of play). In the NBA, NCAA men's and FIBA charts, hands on hips is a block, a grasped wrist is holding, a struck wrist is illegal use of hands and a T is a technical foul. The charge signal changes by level.

What is the referee signal for a charge?

In the NBA, a clenched fist pushed forward. In the NCAA men's chart, both hands pushed forward with open palms, the same signal as pushing, and the player-control foul is a hand behind the head followed by a point. In FIBA, a clenched fist striking the open palm.

What does a T mean from a referee?

In the NBA and NCAA a T is a technical foul. In FIBA a T showing the palms is a technical foul, and a T with the index finger shown is a charged time-out.

What is the signal for traveling?

Rotating the fists, in both the NBA and FIBA charts.

Are high school referee signals the same?

High school officials use the NFHS signal chart. Check your state association for it.

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