Basketball Timeout Rules: Length, Number and Signals by Level

Basketball timeout rules by level: how long a timeout is, how many each team gets, who may call one and when, the timeout signal and media timeouts.

This page sets out the basketball timeout rules for high school, NCAA men, NCAA women, the NBA and FIBA, from how long a timeout lasts and how many a team gets to who may request one, when it is refused, where the team stands, the official's signal and what a timeout does to the clocks.

Basketball timeout rules decide five things: how long a timeout lasts, how many each team gets, who may ask for one, when the request is granted and how the official shows it. Every level answers those questions a little differently, and the gaps are large. In FIBA, for example, only a coach may ask. This page covers the rulebook side, level by level. When to spend a timeout, and how to run the huddle, is on when to call a timeout in basketball.

Check three things in your league's book before the season: how many timeouts you get and how long each lasts, whether a player may call one or only the coach, and what an extra timeout costs. The table below has the answers for each level.

Basketball Timeout Rules at a Glance

Level	Length	Number per team	Who may request
High school (NFHS)	60 or 30 seconds	Three 60-second, two 30-second	Player or coach
NCAA men	75 or 30 seconds, or 60 and 30 with three or more media timeouts a half	Four 75-second and two 30-second, or three 30-second and one 60-second with three or more media timeouts a half	Player or head coach
NCAA women	60 or 30 seconds	Three 30-second and two full, or one full in the media format	Player or head coach
NBA	1:15, mandatory 2:45 or 3:15	Seven, two per overtime	Player or head coach
FIBA	1 minute	Two in the first half, three in the second, one per overtime	Head coach or first assistant only

High school rules can change by state, so check your state association rulebook. The full level-by-level comparison of every rule is on basketball rules and regulations.

How Long Is a Timeout in Basketball

High school. 60 seconds or 30 seconds, by the type called. The NCAA chart says a high school timeout may be shortened if both teams are ready.
NCAA men. No single timeout may run past 75 seconds for a full timeout in a game without the electronic-media format, 60 seconds for a 60-second timeout in a media game, or 30 seconds for a 30-second timeout (Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 4).
NCAA women. No more than 60 seconds for a full timeout and 30 seconds for a 30-second timeout (Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 5).
NBA. Team timeouts beyond the mandatory ones last 1:15. Mandatory timeouts last 2:45 in local games and 3:15 in national games (Rule 5 Sec. VI(c)).
FIBA. Each time-out lasts 1 minute (Art. 18.2.1).

Both NCAA books sound a warning horn 15 seconds before any charged or media timeout ends and a second horn at the end, and play resumes at once. In both NCAA books the team that asked may shorten its timeout by telling the official, except the first team-called timeout of the second half or an extra period in a media game (Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 14.a). The halftime break and the gaps between quarters are separate intervals, covered on how long is basketball halftime.

How Many Timeouts Each Team Gets

High school. Three 60-second and two 30-second timeouts. For overtime, check your state association rulebook.
NCAA men. Four 75-second and two 30-second timeouts without the media format, plus one 75-second per extra period (Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 8). With three or more media timeouts in a half, three 30-second timeouts (up to two carry into the second half) and one 60-second, plus one 30-second per extra period (Art. 10).
NCAA women. Three 30-second and two full timeouts, or one full in the media format, plus one 30-second per overtime (Art. 9 and 10).
NBA. Seven charged timeouts in regulation, no more than four in the fourth period, and no more than two after the later of the 3:00 mark of the fourth or the end of its second mandatory timeout. Two in each overtime (Rule 5 Sec. VI(a) and (b)).
FIBA. Two in the first half, three in the second half with no more than two when the game clock shows 2:00 or less in the fourth quarter, and one per overtime. Unused time-outs do not carry over (Art. 18.2.5 and 18.2.6).

In the college books unused timeouts carry into overtime. Overtime itself is on basketball overtime rules.

Who Can Call a Timeout

This is where FIBA differs most from the rest.

High school. A player or the coach may request one. It is recognized when a player is in control of the ball (NCAA differences chart).
NCAA men. A player or the head coach. During live play, only a player whose team controls the ball may get one. The head coach may get one during live play only on his own team's throw-in before the release, or with the clock running in the last two minutes of the second half or any overtime. When the ball is dead, a player or the head coach may get one (Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 1).
NCAA women. A player or the head coach, when that team controls the ball (throw-ins and free throws included), when the ball is at the disposal of a player of the team entitled to it, or when the ball is dead (Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 1).
NBA. A player in the game or the head coach, only when the ball is dead or a player of his team controls it. A request at any other time is ignored (Rule 5 Sec. VI(d)).
FIBA. Only the head coach or the first assistant coach. The coach makes eye contact with the scorer's table, or goes to it, asks clearly and makes the time-out sign with his hands (Art. 18.1 and 18.3.1). A request can be cancelled only before the timer's signal sounds (Art. 18.3.2).

Basketball timeout rules diagram of a player holding the ball in the right corner while two defenders trap him

Player in control. 2 has picked up his dribble in the right corner and X2 and X4 trap him. He has control of the ball, so under the NFHS, NCAA and NBA books he may ask for the timeout himself. In FIBA only a coach may ask, and only when the ball is dead.

When You Can Call a Timeout, and When You Cannot

Both NCAA books and the NBA grant a timeout when the ball is dead (NCAA Art. 1.c, NBA Rule 5 Sec. VI(d)). FIBA grants one only in a time-out opportunity (below). For high school, check your state association rulebook. The live-ball rules are where the books split.

Live ball, your team has it. High school, both NCAA books and the NBA grant a timeout to the team in control. FIBA never grants one during live play. A FIBA time-out opportunity starts when the ball is dead with the game clock stopped, after a made last free throw, or for the team scored on after a goal. It ends when the ball is at a player's disposal for a throw-in or a first free throw (Art. 18.2.3 and 18.2.4).
Live ball, the other team has it. No level grants your team a timeout.
An airborne player. The NBA grants no timeout to a player with both feet in the air whose body has broken the plane of a boundary line (Rule 5 Sec. VII(e)). The NCAA women's book refuses one when an airborne player's momentum carries her out of bounds or into the backcourt (Rule 5 Sec. 15 Art. 1.c), and the 2025-26 NCAA differences chart lists the same for men.
On a throw-in. The team entitled to the ball may get a timeout while the ball is at the thrower's disposal and before it is released. (NCAA men and women Art. 1.b).
After a made basket. In FIBA a goal opens a time-out opportunity for the team scored on. With 2:00 or less in the fourth quarter or overtime, the scoring team may not take a time-out after its own goal unless a referee has stopped the game (Art. 18.2.3 and 18.2.8).
At the time of the request. The NBA grants a timeout only at the moment it is asked for (Rule 5 Sec. VII(f)).

Basketball timeout rules diagram of a player who catches the ball on the right wing while his jump carries him over the sideline

Airborne player. 3 catches the ball on the right wing, but his jump carries him over the sideline. The NBA grants no timeout to a player with both feet in the air whose body has broken the plane of the boundary line, and the NCAA women's book (and the NCAA's 2025-26 differences chart for men) refuses one when an airborne player's momentum carries him out of bounds.

Basketball timeout rules diagram of a player holding the ball out of bounds on the right sideline for a throw-in

Throw-in. 4 holds the ball out of bounds on the right sideline. Before he releases it, his team may be granted a timeout, and in NCAA men's games this is one of the moments the head coach may ask during live play.

The thrower's count is explained on the 5 seconds rule in basketball and the throw-in itself on basketball out of bounds rules.

Basketball timeout rules diagram of a player driving from the right wing and scoring at the rim

After a made basket. 2 drives from the right wing and scores. In FIBA the basket opens a time-out opportunity for the team that was scored on, and with 2:00 or less in the fourth quarter or overtime the scoring team may not take one after its own goal unless a referee has stopped the game.

Where the Team Stands During a Timeout

The NCAA books draw a box. During any timeout, and during an official's stoppage for instant replay or an injury, players and bench personnel stay inside a rectangle formed by the sideline on the bench side, the end line, the free-throw lane line nearest the bench extended out, and the 28-foot line extended across (NCAA men Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 2, NCAA women Art. 3). During a 30-second timeout the players stand inside the boundary lines rather than going to the bench (NCAA men Art. 3, NCAA women Art. 4).

Basketball timeout rules diagram of five players inside the rectangle formed by the sideline, the end line, the lane line extended and the 28-foot line

Where the team stands. During any NCAA timeout, players and bench personnel stay inside the rectangle formed by the bench-side sideline, the end line, the free-throw lane line extended and the 28-foot line (the four yellow marks are its corners). During a 30-second timeout the players stand inside the boundary lines.

In high school, non-playing personnel may not come onto the playing area during a timeout of 30 seconds or less, and in NCAA games only during full and media timeouts (NCAA differences chart). In FIBA, players may leave the court and sit on the bench during a time-out, and anyone allowed on the bench may come onto the court if they stay near their own bench area (Art. 18.3.5).

Media and Mandatory Timeouts

Some timeouts are not called by either team.

NCAA men. In the media format the stoppages come at the first dead ball at or after the 16, 12, 8 and 4 minute marks of each half, or the 15, 10 and 5 minute marks. A team timeout called within 30 seconds before a media mark becomes that media timeout, and so does the first team timeout of the second half (Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 9 and 10).
NCAA women. The media timeout comes at or below the 5:00 mark of each quarter at a dead ball, unless a team timeout came first. The first replay review or team timeout of the second half triggers the second-half media timeout (Rule 5 Sec. 14 Art. 10).
NBA. Two mandatory timeouts in every period. If neither team has called one before 6:59, the official scorer takes it at the first dead ball and charges it to the home team. If none follows before 2:59, the scorer takes another and charges it to the team not yet charged (Rule 5 Sec. VI(c)).
FIBA. Media time-outs are optional, set by the competition (Appendix E). When used, there is one per quarter and none in overtime. A team time-out before the 5:00 mark becomes it, otherwise it is taken at the first dead ball with the clock stopped after 5:00 and charged to neither team. The official signals it with open arms and clenched fists (Appendix A).

The Basketball Timeout Signal

The timeout signal differs by level, and two of them look alike for different calls.

Level	Timeout signal	Related signals
NBA	Open palm	A T formed with the hands is a technical foul. A twirled finger is replay
NCAA men, 30-second timeout	Both hands raised with the fingertips on the shoulders	Pointing toward the table is the directional or media timeout signal
NCAA men, 60 or 75-second timeout	Hands together in front of the chest, then both arms straight out to the sides	Both arms over the head with the index fingers rotating means a shortened timeout has been requested
FIBA, charged time-out	Form a T with the hands and show the index finger	Open arms with clenched fists is a media time-out
High school	Check your state association	The NFHS signal chart is in the sold rulebook

The NCAA men's signals are drawn in Appendix VIII of its rulebook. The foul and violation signals are on basketball referee signals.

What a Timeout Resets

"Reset timeout" is not a rulebook term. What people usually want to know is which counts a timeout resets, and that changes by level.

The 10-second backcourt count. In NCAA men's games it resets when the team in control is granted a timeout. In NCAA women's games it does not. The high school entry in the NCAA chart says the count resets on a new throw-in. The NBA and FIBA use 8 seconds, see the 10-second rule.
The shot clock. In both NCAA books the shot clock is not reset when a charged or media timeout ends. In the NBA, after a late timeout that moves the throw-in to the frontcourt, the game clock and the shot clock stay where they were. The rest is on basketball shot clock rules.
Where the ball goes. Late in the game in the NBA, NCAA women's games and FIBA, a timeout can move a backcourt throw-in to the frontcourt. See when to call a timeout in basketball and basketball clock management.

Too Many Timeouts

High school. A technical foul (NCAA differences chart).
NCAA men. An administrative technical foul (Rule 5 Sec. 17 Art. 1): two free throws and the ball at the point of interruption in the backcourt, or the closest of four spots in the frontcourt.
NCAA women. A team technical foul: two free throws and the ball to the opponents at the division line opposite the table.
NBA. The timeout is granted and a technical foul is charged. After it, the ball goes to the opponents for a throw-in nearest where play stopped (Rule 5 Sec. VI(k)).

Technical fouls at every level are on technical foul in basketball. For the plays a team runs out of its timeouts, see basketball after timeout plays and basketball late game situations.

Questions Coaches Ask

How long is a timeout in basketball?

It depends on the level. High school timeouts are 60 or 30 seconds. NCAA men's full timeouts are 75 seconds, or 60 seconds when the media format has three or more media timeouts a half, plus 30-second timeouts. NCAA women's full timeouts are 60 seconds and short ones 30. NBA team timeouts are 1:15, and FIBA time-outs are 1 minute.

What are the college basketball timeout rules?

Men's teams get four 75-second and two 30-second timeouts without the media format, or three 30-second and one 60-second when the media format has three or more media timeouts a half. Women's teams get three 30-second and two full timeouts, or three 30-second and one full with the media format. A player or the head coach may ask, with limits on the men's head coach during live play.

When can you call a timeout in basketball?

In college and the NBA, when the ball is dead or your team has control of it. In high school, when a player of your team is in control (the dead-ball rule is in your state association's book). In FIBA only the coach may ask, and only during a time-out opportunity such as a dead ball with the game clock stopped.

What is the timeout signal in basketball?

In the NBA it is an open palm. In NCAA men's games a 30-second timeout is shown with the fingertips on the shoulders, and a full timeout with the hands together at the chest, then the arms straight out. In FIBA the official forms a T and shows the index finger.

What is a reset timeout in basketball?

"Reset timeout" is not a rulebook term. A timeout resets some counts at some levels: the NCAA men's 10-second count resets on a timeout by the team in control, the women's does not, and neither NCAA book resets the shot clock when a timeout ends.

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