What are the 3-second, 5-second and 8-second rules?

FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026:

3 seconds (Article 26): a player shall not remain in the opponents' restricted area for more than 3 consecutive seconds while their team controls a live ball in the frontcourt and the game clock is running. Allowances are made for a player who attempts to leave the area, who is in the area when they or a teammate is shooting and the ball is leaving or has just left the hand(s), or who dribbles in the area to shoot after being there for less than 3 seconds. To be outside the area, both feet must be on the court outside it.

5 seconds, closely guarded (Article 27): a player holding a live ball on the court is closely guarded when an opponent is in an active legal guarding position at no more than 1 m. A closely guarded player must pass, shoot or dribble within 5 seconds.

8 seconds (Article 28): a team that gains control of a live ball in its backcourt (or whose throw-in is touched in the backcourt while it keeps control) must get the ball into its frontcourt within 8 seconds. It has done so when, for example, the ball touches the frontcourt, an offensive player with both feet completely in the frontcourt touches it, or during a dribble the ball and both feet of the dribbler are completely in the frontcourt. The 8-second count continues with the time remaining when the same team gets a backcourt throw-in after, for example, the ball going out-of-bounds, an injured teammate, its own technical foul, a jump ball situation, a double foul or cancelled equal penalties.

Under Article 22, a violation is penalised by a throw-in for the opponents from the place nearest the infraction (not directly behind the backboard) unless the rules state otherwise.