Table Official's Guide to Basketball South Africa FIBA Rules Open 2026

At least 40 minutes before the scheduled start (Appendix B.3), the scorer enters:

• the two team names. Team 'A' is the home team, or the first team named in the schedule at a tournament or neutral venue, and goes in the upper part of the sheet. Team 'B' goes below;
• the competition name, game number, date, time and venue;
• the names of the crew chief and umpire(s), with their nationality (IOC code);
• for each team: the last 3 digits of each player's, the head coach's and the first assistant coach's licence number; and players' names and initials in BLOCK CAPITALS in shirt-number order, with (CAP) after the captain;
• the head coach's and first assistant coach's names at the bottom of each team section, and the table officials' names at the bottom of the sheet.

If a team has fewer than 12 players, rule off the unused lines below the last player.

At least 10 minutes before the start, each head coach (team A first):

• confirms the names and numbers of the team members, and the head coach and first assistant coach. If there is no coach, the captain acts as player head coach;
• marks a small 'x' in the 'Player in' column beside the 5 starting players;
• signs the scoresheet.

At tip-off, circle the small 'x' of each team's 5 starters.

The paper scoresheet has 4 copies: white (the original, for FIBA), blue (organising body), pink (winning team) and yellow (losing team). The scoresheet may also be prepared and completed electronically.

Under Appendix B.10 to B.12, the scorer keeps a chronological running score of points for each team.

Each score:

• Field goal: draw a diagonal line (/ if right-handed, \ if left-handed) over the team's new points total.
• Free throw: draw a filled circle (●) over the new total.
• Then write the scorer's shirt number in the blank space beside it, on the same side.
• 3-point goal: circle the player's number.
• Own-goal: credit it to the captain of the opposing team who is on the court.
• Points awarded for goaltending or interference: credit them to the player who took the shot.

End of each quarter and overtime: draw a thick circle around each team's latest total, then a thick horizontal line under it and under the number of the player who scored it. Carry on from there at the start of the next period. Enter each quarter's score, and all overtimes together, in the summary section at the bottom.

End of the game:

• Draw 2 thick horizontal lines under each team's final total and the last scorer's number, and a diagonal line to the bottom of the column to cross out the unused numbers.
• Enter the time the game ended, the final score and the winning team.
• All table officials sign, then the umpire(s). The crew chief signs last, which ends the referees' connection with the game.

Check the scoreboard against the sheet whenever you can. If they don't match and the scoresheet is right, have the scoreboard corrected. If you are unsure, or a team objects, tell the crew chief at the next dead ball with the game clock stopped. The scoresheet takes precedence.

Under Appendix B.8 of the 2026 rules, player fouls are entered against the player. Technical and disqualifying fouls by the head coach, first assistant coach, substitutes, excluded players and accompanying delegation members are entered against the head coach.

Key principles:

• Any foul that counts towards game disqualification is circled.
• Free throws: add the number of free throws (1, 2 or 3) beside the letter, e.g. P2 or DI2.
• Cancelled penalties: add a small 'c' beside the letter for equal penalties cancelled under Art. 43.
• Game disqualification: after the foul that causes it, enter 'GD' in the next space.
• Disqualified in a fight: after the 'D', enter an 'F' in all remaining spaces of that person.
• Half-time: draw a thick line between used and unused spaces in the players' and coach's foul columns. At the end of the game, cross out remaining spaces with a thick horizontal line.

Use a red pen for the 1st and 3rd quarters, and blue or black for the 2nd and 4th quarters and all overtimes.

On the scoresheet (Appendix B.9):

• Each team has 4 spaces per quarter (Q1 to Q4), just below the team name and above the player names.
• Whenever a player commits a personal, technical, disruptive, flagrant or disqualifying foul, mark a large 'X' in the next space for that team.
• At the end of each quarter, cross out the remaining spaces with 2 parallel horizontal lines.
• Team fouls in an interval count towards the next quarter. Overtime team fouls count as part of the 4th quarter.
• Technical fouls charged to the head coach ('C', 'B') and fouls under the fighting rule do not count as team fouls.

The team foul marker (Art. 50.1):

• The timer operates a marker on each side of the scorer's table, nearest each team bench, showing that team's current number of team fouls.
• After the 4th team foul in a quarter, once the ball becomes live again, the marker must be shown fully red with no number. This tells everyone the team is in the team foul penalty: from then on, personal fouls on a player not in the act of shooting are penalised with 2 free throws.

Fifth foul:

• The scorer records each foul against the player. The timer raises the player foul marker showing that player's number of fouls, so both head coaches can see it.
• When a player has been charged with 5 fouls, the timer must tell a referee immediately. The referee informs the player, who must leave the game and be replaced within 30 seconds.
• Any later foul by that excluded player is charged to the head coach as a 'B'.

Game disqualification (GD):

• The scorer must tell a referee immediately when a player should be disqualified. That is after 2 category 1 technical fouls, 2 flagrant fouls, or 1 of each.
• The scorer must also tell a referee immediately when a head coach should be disqualified. That is after 2 'C' technicals, or 3 category 1 technicals that are all 'B' or 'BD' or include one 'C'.
• The timer then raises the GD marker.
• On the scoresheet, enter 'GD' in the space after the foul that caused it.

Remember: disruptive fouls ('DI') and category 2 technical fouls (plain 'T') do not count towards disqualification. Every foul that does count is circled, which makes the totals easy to check.

Allowance (Art. 18.2):

Unused time-outs do not carry over to the next half or overtime. Each time-out lasts 1 minute.

Requests: only the head coach or first assistant coach can ask, either by making eye contact with the table or by coming to it, using the conventional sign. The timer sounds the signal when a time-out opportunity starts. If a goal is scored against a team that has asked for a time-out, stop the game clock and sound the signal immediately. In the last 2:00 of the 4th quarter and overtime, the scoring team cannot have a time-out after a successful goal unless a referee has stopped the game.

Recording (Appendix B.7):

• In the boxes below the team's name, enter the minute of playing time of the quarter or overtime: next to H1 for the first half, H2 for the second half, and OT for up to 3 overtimes.
• At the end of each half and overtime, mark unused boxes with 2 parallel horizontal lines.
• If a team has not had its first second-half time-out before the clock shows 2:00 in the 4th quarter, mark 2 horizontal lines in its first second-half box.
• Tell the head coach, through a referee, when the team has no time-outs left in that half or overtime.

Under Art. 50.2, the timer starts the game clock when:

• on the opening jump ball, the ball is legally tapped by a jumper;
• after a missed last free throw that stays live, the ball touches or is touched by a player on the court;
• on a throw-in, the ball touches or is legally touched by a player on the court.

The timer stops the game clock when:

• time expires at the end of a quarter or overtime, if the clock doesn't stop itself;
• a referee blows the whistle while the ball is live;
• a goal is scored against a team that has asked for a time-out;
• a goal is scored when the game clock shows 2:00 or less in the 4th quarter and in each overtime;
• the shot clock signal sounds while a team is in control of the ball.

Other timer duties:

• Make sure the game clock signal sounds very loudly and automatically at the end of each quarter. If it fails or isn't heard, tell the referees immediately by any means. Where the backboard has red perimeter lighting, the light takes precedence over the sound.
• Only sound your own signal when the ball is dead and before it becomes live again.
• After a foul near the end of a quarter, the referee decides how much time is left, with a minimum of 0.1 seconds shown.

The timer uses a stopwatch for these (Art. 50.3, 50.4 and 8).

Time-outs (1 minute each):

• Start the stopwatch when the referee whistles and gives the time-out signal.
• Sound the signal when 50 seconds have gone.
• Sound the signal again when the time-out has ended.

Intervals of play:

• Start the stopwatch as soon as a quarter or overtime ends.
• Before the 1st and 3rd quarters, tell the referees when 3 minutes and 1.5 minutes remain. The crew chief then whistles.
• Before the 2nd and 4th quarters and each overtime, sound the signal when 30 seconds remain.
• Sound the signal, and stop the stopwatch at the same time, when the interval ends.

Who asks (Art. 19.3): only the substitute, not the coach. The substitute comes to the scorer's table and asks clearly, using the conventional hand sign, or sits on the substitution chair ready to play.

When the timer sounds the signal: as soon as a substitution opportunity starts. That is:

• for both teams, when the ball becomes dead, the game clock is stopped and the referee has finished communicating with the table;
• for both teams, after a successful last free throw;
• for the non-scoring team, after a goal when the game clock shows 2:00 or less in the 4th quarter or overtime.

The opportunity ends when the ball is at the disposal of a player for a throw-in or a first free throw. A request can be cancelled only before the timer's signal sounds. The timer's signal does not stop the clock or make the ball dead.

Rules to watch:

• In the last 2:00 of the 4th quarter and overtime, the scoring team may not substitute after a successful goal, unless a referee has stopped the game.
• A player who has just come in, or just gone out, cannot leave or re-enter until the ball becomes dead again after a game clock running period. The exceptions are when the team is reduced to fewer than 5 players, or a correctable-error free-throw shooter is on the bench.
• A player who receives treatment or assistance must be substituted, unless the team would be left with fewer than 5.
• A player with 5 fouls, or who has been disqualified, must be replaced within 30 seconds.
• During a time-out, or an interval other than half-time, the substitute must report to the timer before entering.

Scoresheet: draw a small 'x' (not circled) in the 'Player in' column the first time a substitute enters the game.

Start or restart the shot clock (Art. 51.1) when:

• a team gains control of a live ball on the court. After that, an opponent merely touching the ball does not start a new period if the same team keeps control; or
• on a throw-in, the ball touches or is legally touched by any player on the court.

Stop and reset to 24, with no display showing (Art. 29.2 and 51.3), when:

• the ball legally enters the basket;
• the ball touches the ring and is then controlled by the team that did not have it before;
• the other team is awarded a backcourt throw-in after a foul or violation by the team in control, including the ball going out-of-bounds;
• the same team keeps the ball with a backcourt throw-in after a foul or violation by the opponents (but not when the ball went out-of-bounds);
• a team gets a backcourt throw-in from a jump ball situation, when it did not have control before;
• the game was stopped for something not connected with the team in control, or with either team (unless resetting would put the opponents at a disadvantage), and the throw-in is in the backcourt;
• a team is awarded free throws.

A shot as the clock expires: for the shot to be legal, the ball must leave the hand before the signal and then touch the ring or go in. If the signal sounds in error while a team has the ball, the referees ignore it unless the team was put at a disadvantage, in which case the clock is corrected.

Reset to 14 seconds (Art. 51.4):

• The same team keeps the ball with a frontcourt throw-in, and the shot clock shows 13 seconds or less, after a foul or violation (not out-of-bounds) by the opponents, or after a stoppage not connected with that team. If it shows 14 or more, it is not reset.
• The other team gets a frontcourt throw-in after a personal foul or violation (including out-of-bounds), or from a jump ball situation.
• A throw-in from the frontcourt throw-in line opposite the scorer's table after a disruptive, flagrant or disqualifying foul.
• The ball touches the ring on a missed shot, a missed last free throw or a pass (including lodging between ring and backboard) and the same team that had the ball regains control.
• In the last 2:00 of the 4th quarter or overtime, after a time-out by the team entitled to a backcourt possession, the head coach chooses a frontcourt throw-in and the shot clock showed 14 or more.

Stopped but not reset, remaining time shown (Art. 51.2), when the same team keeps the ball with a throw-in because of:

• the ball going out-of-bounds;
• an injury to one of its own players;
• a technical foul by that team;
• a jump ball situation (but not when the ball lodges on the ring);
• a double foul, or cancelled equal penalties.

Switch it off (Art. 51.5) after the ball becomes dead and the game clock is stopped, when there is a new control of the ball for either team and less than 14 seconds remain on the game clock.

The shot clock signal does not stop the game clock or the game, and does not make the ball dead, unless a team is in control.

The scorer operates the arrow (Art. 12.6 and 49.1).

• Setting it first: the team that does not gain the first control of a live ball after the opening jump ball gets the first alternating possession. Point the arrow towards that team's opponents' basket (the basket it is attacking).
• Jump ball situations: in every jump ball situation after the opening tip, the team the arrow favours gets a throw-in from the nearest place, not directly behind the backboard. Examples are a held ball, the ball going out when the referees are unsure or disagree who touched it last, and a live ball lodging between the ring and the backboard (except between free throws).
• Reverse it as soon as the alternating possession throw-in ends.
• Start of quarters: the team entitled to the next alternating possession starts the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters and each overtime with a throw-in from the centre line extended, opposite the scorer's table.
• Half-time: reverse the arrow immediately after the end of the first half, because the teams swap baskets.
• Violation on the throw-in: if the team violates during its own alternating possession throw-in, it loses that possession. Reverse the arrow straight away, and the ball goes to the opponents for a throw-in from the same place.
• Fouls: a foul by either team before a quarter (other than the 1st) or overtime starts, or during the alternating possession throw-in, does not cost the team its possession. The arrow stays where it is.