How are technical fouls categorised and penalised?

Under Article 36 of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026, deliberate or repeated non-cooperation with the spirit and intent of the rules is a technical foul. Referees may prevent them by warning, or overlook minor infractions that are clearly unintentional and have no direct effect on the game, unless the infraction is repeated after the warning.

• Category 1 counts towards game disqualification. For a player it is behavioural, for example disrespect to officials or opponents, offensive language or gestures to spectators, baiting or taunting an opponent, waving a hand near an opponent's eyes, excessive swinging of elbows without contact, or faking being fouled.
• Category 2 does not count towards game disqualification. Examples: delaying the game by touching the ball after it passes through the basket, preventing a prompt throw-in or free throw, coming on court late to start the game or second half, hanging on the ring, or goaltending by a defender on the last free throw.
• A technical foul by a person on the bench is category 1 if it is disrespectful communication or touching of officials or opponents, or a procedural or administrative infraction.

Penalty: the opponents get 1 free throw, taken immediately. A technical foul by a player is charged as a player foul and counts as a team foul. A category 1 technical by anyone else on the bench is charged to the head coach and does not count as a team foul. Play then resumes with a throw-in for the team that had or was entitled to the ball.