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

Art. 15 was rewritten for 2026 to stop players manufacturing shooting fouls. It now separates two kinds of shot.

Jump shots and other moving shots:

• Starts when the player begins to move the shoulders and the ball upwards towards the opponents' basket.
• Ends when the ball leaves the hand(s), or an entirely new act of shooting is made, and for an airborne shooter, when both feet are back on the floor.
• If, after being fouled, the player passes the ball off, moves the ball upwards away from the basket, or is not facing the basket while moving the ball up, they are not in the act of shooting.

Drives to the basket (continuous movement):

• Starts when the player has gathered the ball and it comes to rest in the hand(s), after a dribble or a catch in the air, and the player continues the shooting motion before releasing the ball.
• This is an action in the frontcourt, typically starting between the 3-point line and the basket.
• Ends in the same way as above. A player who passes the ball off after being fouled is no longer in the act of shooting.

Other points:

• The player must be in the frontcourt. The only exception is the last action before the game clock expires for the quarter or overtime, or before the shot clock expires. Then the act of shooting can be from anywhere and starts when the ball is gathered and comes to rest in the hand(s).
• The number of legal steps taken has nothing to do with whether the player is in the act of shooting.
• A shooter whose arms are held can be in the act of shooting even if the ball never leaves the hand(s).