Basketball Violations (2024)

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A violation in basketball is called on any player who breaks or violates a rule of the game defined in the league rulebook.They can also differ within different levels of basketball, but all violations are called by the referees. It is important to know the violations as a player and coach since taking fouls or committing violations can hurt a team’s chances of winning.

Violations are typically called for minor infractions, while fouls are reserved for more serious infractions.Violations describe breaches of basic rules like dribbling, bringing the ball up the court, or passing the ball inbounds. Since violations are usually simple mistakes, they are much more common at lower levels of play because more experienced players already know how to perform basic skills.

• What Are the Different Violations in Basketball?
• Time Violations
• Dribbling Violations
• Goaltending, Interference, and Other Violations
• List of Basketball Violations
• Key Terminology
• FAQ

What Are the Different Violations in Basketball?

There are upwards of 20 distinct violations in basketball.Here are the different kinds of violations:

• Carrying: Scooping the ball to carry it while dribbling.
• Defensive Three-Seconds: A defensive player staying in the lane for longer than three seconds without guarding anyone.
• Double Dribble: Dribbling the ball before picking it up and dribbling again.
• Eight-Second Violation (Backcourt Violation): The offense fails to cross half-court eight seconds after inbounding the ball. At certain levels of play, 10 seconds may be used instead of eight.
• Entering Basket from Below: A ball that goes through the net before the rim.
• Five-Second Violation: Failure to inbound the ball five seconds after receiving it.
• Goaltending: Interfering with a shot when it is on a downward arc into the basket.
• Held-Ball Violation: The offense holds the ball without doing anything for five seconds.
• Illegal Assist: Grabbing the rim, net, or backboard to give yourself an advantage.
• Illegal Screen: Moving while setting a screen to gain an advantage.
• Illegal Throw-In: Stepping over the line while throwing in the ball, moving before throwing it in, or throwing it out of bounds.
• Jump-Ball Violation: When a player participating in a jump ball commits an infraction, such as jumping more than once or holding the ball before the first touch.
• Leaving the Court: Leaving the court for an unauthorized reason during play.
• Offensive Three-Seconds: Staying in the key for three seconds or more while on offense.
• Out of Bounds: Being the last player to touch the ball before it goes out-of-bounds.
• Over-and-Back (Backcourt Violation): The offense returns the ball from the frontcourt to the backcourt without the other team touching it.
• Shot Clock Violation: Failure to get a shot off before the shot clock expires. Different leagues will use either a 24 or 30-second shot clock.
• Striking the Ball: When a player kicks the ball or hits it with a closed fist.
• Swinging Elbows: Striking another player with an elbow.
• Traveling: Taking more than two steps without dribbling the ball.

Time Violations

Time violations mainly revolve around the game clock and shot clock but can also involve other factors.

The following are common time violations:

• Shot Clock Violation: The offense has a certain number of seconds (depending on the level of competition) to get a shot off, starting from the instant the ball is inbounded.
• Backcourt Violation (Eight-Second Rule): Also known as the 10-second rule in non-NBA competitions, this rule makes the offense advance the ball beyond half-court in a certain amount of time. This advances the game and condenses it into the frontcourt for the majority of a typical possession.
• Held Ball Violation (Five-Second Rule): An inbounds pass must occur before the conclusion of five seconds. Time starts after the passer is given the ball and the referee sounds a whistle.
• Paint Violation (Offensive Three-Second Rule, Defensive Three-Second Rule): This rule prevents players from “camping” and keeping an advantageous position in the paint. This violation is only used in certain basketball leagues.

Dribbling Violations

Dribbling violations occur when a player does not follow the regulations designed for dribbling: even the smallest violation can be identified and leads to a turnover. The general rule of thumb for dribbling is that a player must dribble at least once between every three steps. Players may not move with the ball unless they are dribbling.

The player dribbling the ball is not allowed to touch a boundary line at any point.If a player touches a boundary line while in possession of the ball, they will be ruled out of bounds and turn the ball over to the other team.

Dribbling violations include:

• Traveling (also known as “Walking”)
• Carrying (also known as “Palming”)
• Double Dribble

The ball handler cannot carry the ball by putting their hand under the ball and pushing it up and over to dribble; this is known as “palming” or “carrying.” The dribbler’s hand must remain on top of the ball at all times while dribbling.

The ball handler is also not allowed to dribble the ball, pick it up, and then dribble it again. This is known as a “double dribble.” Once a player picks up their dribble, they must either shoot the ball, pass it to a teammate, or try to deflect it off of a defender (the latter is much less common).

Goaltending, Interference, and Other Violations

Some violations do not have to do with the clock or dribbling but involve interference with a shot or hitting the ball illegally.Here are some of theseviolations in basketball:

• Goaltending or Basket Interference
• Kicking the Ball
• Striking the Ball with a Fist

When a player attempts a field goal, the ball may only be blocked while it’s on its way up. Once the ball starts coming down toward the hoop, it may not be touched by either team (unless the shot will clearly be off-target). This is called offensive or defensive goaltending.

If a defensive player commits a goaltending violation, the shooter is awarded two points as if they had made the shot successfully. If a player on offense touches the ball on its way down (usually in an attempt to tip it in), possession of the ball is awarded to the opposing team. Goaltending also applies if a shot hits the backboard before being touched.Another term used for goaltending is basket interference.

Kicking the ball is not allowed in basketball. This typically happens when defenders are trying to move and a pass is deflected off one of their feet or legs, although it can be committed by an offensive player, too. This violation awards the opposing team possession of the ball.

Striking the ball with a fist is also not allowed. This discourages potentially dangerous consequences by preventing players from using their fists. This violation also awards the opposing team possession of the ball.

List of Basketball Violations

• 10-Second Violation
• 8-Second Violation
• 24-Second Violation
• 3-Second Violation
• 5-Second Violation
• Backcourt Violation
• Basket Interference
• Carrying
• Double Dribble
• Goaltending
• Held Ball
• Illegal Assists
• Palming
• Traveling
• Walking

Key Terminology

Here are some glossary terms you should review related to basketball violations:

• Backcourt
• Block
• Defense
• Dribble
• Field Goal
• Foul
• Free Throw
• Frontcourt
• Inbounds Pass
• Jump Ball
• Key
• Kicked Ball
• Offense
• Possession
• Shot Block
• Technical Foul

FAQ

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Pages Related to Basketball Violations

• Basketball Throw Ins
• Double Dribble In Basketball
• Basketball Tipoff
• Held Ball In Basketball
• Basketball Timeouts
• College Basketball Vs. NBA Rule Differences

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