When is a player "in the act of shooting" under the 2026 rules?

FIBA's 2026 rules (Article 15) define it separately for different shots:

Jump shots and other moving shots

• Starts when the player begins to move the shoulders and the ball upwards towards the opponents' basket.

Drives to the basket (typically starting between the 3-point line and the basket)

• Starts when the player has gathered the ball (it comes to rest in the hands after a dribble or a catch in the air) and continues the shooting motion.

For both, the rule says the act of shooting "ends when the ball has left the player's hand(s), or if an entirely new act of shooting is made and, in case of an airborne shooter, both feet have returned to the floor."

Must be in the frontcourt. A player in the backcourt is not in the act of shooting, except on the last action before the game clock expires at the end of a quarter or overtime, or before the shot clock expires. In those cases the act of shooting starts when the player has gathered the ball.

No longer shooting if, after being fouled, the player passes the ball off. On jump or moving shots, the same applies if the ball moves upwards away from the basket or the player isn't facing the basket as it moves up.

A shooter whose arms are held can still be in the act of shooting even if the ball never leaves their hands. The number of legal steps taken has no bearing on it.