How many fouls can a player have, and when do team fouls lead to free throws?
Rule- South Africa
- Basketball South Africa
- FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026
- Open
- 2026
- Referees
Player foul limit (Art. 41):
- A player who has committed 5 fouls is told by a referee and must leave the game immediately, being substituted within 30 seconds.
- Any later foul by that excluded player is charged to the head coach and recorded as a 'B'.
- A player head coach with 5 fouls as a player becomes an excluded player but may carry on as head coach.
Team fouls (Art. 42):
- Personal, technical, disruptive, flagrant and disqualifying fouls by a player all count as team fouls.
- A team is in the team foul penalty after it has committed 4 team fouls in a quarter. From the 5th team foul on, any personal foul on a player not in the act of shooting is penalised with 2 free throws, taken by the fouled player, instead of a throw-in.
- A personal foul by the team in control of the ball (or entitled to it) is still penalised by a throw-in for the opponents.
- Team fouls in an interval count towards the next quarter. All overtime team fouls count as part of the 4th quarter.
Free throws for a personal foul on a shooter:
- Goal made: it counts, plus 1 free throw.
- Goal missed: 2 free throws from the 2-point area, or 3 from the 3-point area.
Added 21 Oct 2026