Rulebook Home > RULE NO. 5: Scoring and Timing
Search for:

RULE NO. 5: Scoring and Timing

Jump to:

Scoring

Timing

End of Period

Tie Score – Overtime

Stoppage of Timing Devices

Timeouts – Mandatory/Team

Timeout Requests

Time-In

 

 

Section I—Scoring

  1. A legal field goal or free throw attempt shall be scored when a ball from the playing area enters the basket from above and remains in or passes through the net.
  2. A successful field goal attempt from the area on or inside the three-point field goal line shall count two points.
  3. A successful field goal attempt from the area outside the three-point field goal line shall count three points.
    1. The shooter must have at least one foot on the floor outside the three-point field goal line prior to the attempt.
    2. The shooter may not be touching the floor on or inside the three-point field goal line.
    3. The shooter may contact the three-point field goal line, or land in the two-point field goal area, after the ball is released.
  4. A field goal accidentally scored in an opponent’s basket shall be added to the opponent’s score, credited to the opposing player nearest the player whose actions caused the ball to enter the basket.
  5. It is a violation for a player to attempt a field goal at an opponent’s basket. The opposing team will be awarded the ball at the free throw line extended.
  6. A successful free throw attempt shall count one point.
  7. An unsuccessful free throw attempt which is tapped into the basket shall count two points and shall be credited to the player who tapped the ball in.
  8. If there is a discrepancy in the score and it cannot be resolved, the running score shall be official.

Section II—Timing

  1. All periods of regulation play in the NBA will be twelve minutes.
  2. All overtime periods of play will be five minutes.
  3. Fifteen minutes will be permitted between halves of all games.
  4. 2:30 will be permitted between the first and second periods, the third and fourth periods and before any overtime period during local games.  For national TV games 3:30 will be permitted between the first and second periods, the third and fourth periods and 2:30 before any overtime period.
  5. A team is permitted a total of 30 seconds to replace a disqualified player.
  6. The game is considered to be in the two-minute part when the game clock shows 2:00 or less time remaining in the period.
  7. The publicaddress operator is required to announce that there are two minutes remaining in each period.
  8. The game clock shall be equipped to show tenths-of-a-second during the last minute of each period.

 

Section III—End of Period

  1. Each period ends when time expires.
    1.  EXCEPTIONS:
      1. If a field goal attempt is in flight toward the basket, the period ends when the goal is made, missed or touched by an offensive player.
      2. If the official’s whistle sounds prior to :00.0 on the clock, the period is not over and time must be added to the clock.
      3. If a field goal attempt is in flight toward the basket when the horn sounds ending a period, and it subsequently is touched by: (a) a defensive player, the goal, if successful, shall count; or (b) an offensive player, the period has ended.
      4. If a timeout request is made as time expires for a period, the period ends and the timeout shall not be granted.
      5. If there is a foul called on or by a player in the act of shooting the period will end after the foul is penalized (See Rule 13—II—b(ii)).
  2. If the ball is dead and the game clock shows :00.0, the period has ended even though the horn may not have sounded.
    1. EXCEPTION: See Rule 13—II—b(ii)

 

Section IV—Tie Score—Overtime

If the score is tied at the end of the fourth period, play shall resume in 2:30 without change of baskets for any of the overtime periods required.

 

Section V—Stoppage of Timing Devices

  1. The timing devices shall be stopped whenever the official’s whistle sounds.
  2. The timing devices shall be stopped:
    1. During the last minute of the first, second and third periods following a successful field goal attempt.
    2. During the last two minutes of regulation play and/or last two minutes of over- time(s) following a successful field goal attempt.
  3. Officials may not use official time to permit a player to change or repair equipment.

 

Section VI—Timeouts – Mandatory/Team

  1. Each team is entitled to seven (7) charged timeouts during regulation play. Each team is limited to no more than four (4) timeouts in the fourth period. Each team will be limited to two (2) team timeouts after the later of (i) the three-minute mark of the fourth period or (ii) the  conclusion of the  second mandatory timeout of the fourth period.
  2. In overtime periods, each team shall be allowed two (2) team timeouts.
  3. There must be two mandatory timeouts in each period.
    1. If neither team has taken a timeout prior to 6:59 of the period, it shall be mandatory for the Official Scorer to take it at the first dead ball and charge it to the home team. If no subsequent timeouts are taken prior to 2:59, it shall be mandatory for the Official Scorer to take it and charge it to the team not previously charged.
    2. The Official Scorer shall notify a team when it has been charged with a mandatory time-out.
    3. Mandatory timeouts shall be 2:45 for local games and 3:15 for national games.  Any additional team timeouts in a period beyond those which are mandatory shall be 1:15.
    4. No mandatory timeout may be charged during an official’s suspension-of-play.
      1. EXCEPTION: Suspension-of-play for Infection Control. See Comments on the Rules—N
  4. A request for a timeout by a player in the game or the head coach shall be granted only when the ball is dead or in control of a player on the team making the request. A request at any other time shall be ignored.
  5. During a timeout, all substitutions are legal for both teams.
  6. This rule may be used for any reason, including a request for a rule If the correction is sustained, no timeout shall be charged.
  7. If a timeout is charged to the offensive team during the last two minutes of the fourth period and/or last two minutes of any overtime period and (1) the ball is out-of-bounds in the backcourt (except for a suspension of play after the team had advanced the ball), or (2) after securing the ball from a rebound in the backcourt and prior to any advance of the ball, or (3) after the offensive team secures the ball from a change of possession in the backcourt and prior to any advance of the ball, the timeout should be granted. Upon resumption of play, the team granted the timeout shall have the option of putting the ball into play at the 28’ hash mark in the frontcourt or at the designated spot out-of-bounds. If the ball is put into play at the hash mark, the ball may be passed into either the frontcourt or If it is passed into the backcourt, the team will receive a new 8-second count.  However, once the ball is (1) thrown in from out-of-bounds, or (2) dribbled or passed after receiving it from a rebound or a change of possession, the timeout shall be granted, and, upon resumption of play, the ball shall be in-bounded on the sideline where play was interrupted. In order for the option to be available following these conditions, a second timeout must be granted to the offensive team.  The time on the game clock and the shot clock shall remain as when the timeout was called.
  8. A timeout shall not be granted to the defensive team during an official’s suspension- of-play.
    1. EXCEPTION: Suspension of play for Infection Control. See Comments on the Rules-N.
  9. If a player is injured as a result of a player on the opposing team committing a flagrant foul or unsportsmanlike act, play will resume when playing conditions are safe and no timeout will be charged, unless a mandatory is due, as a result of any delay due to the player’s injury.
  10. If a team calls a timeout because one of its players is injured and, at the expiration of the timeout play is unable to resume due to that player ’s injury, play will resume when playing conditions are safe.
  11. Requests for a timeout in excess of those available to the team at that point in the game (as set forth in subsection (a)) shall be granted and a technical foul shall be Following the timeout, the ball will be awarded to the opposing team and play shall resume with a throw-in nearest the spot where play was interrupted.
  12. If a team has no timeouts remaining and a player is injured and cannot be removed from the playing court during a stoppage of play, no excessive timeout will be charged and play will resume when playing conditions are safe.

 

Section VII—Timeout Requests

  1. If an official, upon receiving a timeout request by the defensive team, inadvertently signals while the play is in progress, play shall be suspended and the team in possession shall put the ball in play immediately at the sideline nearest where the ball was when the signal was given. The game and shot clock shall remain the same.
  2. If an official, upon receiving a timeout request from the defensive team, inadvertently signals for a timeout during the act of shooting but prior to the release of the ball on:
    1. a successful field goal or free throw attempt, the point(s) shall be scored.
    2. an unsuccessful field goal attempt, the offensive team shall put the ball in play immediately at the sideline nearest where the ball was when the signal was given.
    3. an unsuccessful free throw attempt, the official shall rule disconcerting and award a substitute free throw.
  3. If an official, upon receiving a timeout request, inadvertently signals for a timeout:
    1. after the ball is released during a successful field goal or free throw attempt, the points shall be scored.
    2. while the ball is loose or after the ball is released during an unsuccessful field goal or free throw attempt which will remain in play, play shall be resumed with a jump ball at the center circle between any two opponents in the game.
  4. When a team is granted a timeout, play shall not resume until the Time-out Clock has expired. The throw-in shall be nearest the spot where play was suspended. The throw-in shall be on the sideline, if the ball was in play when the request was granted.
  5. A player shall not be granted any timeout if both of his feet are in the air and any part of his body has broken the vertical plane of the boundary line. This rule also applies to the midcourt line except during throw-ins in the last two minutes of the fourth or last two minutes of any overtime period.
  6. A timeout can be granted only at the time of the request.

 

Section VIII—Time-In

  1. After time has been out, the game clock shall be started:
    1. On a free throw that is unsuccessful and the ball continues in play, the game clock shall be started when the missed free throw is legally touched by any player.
    2. If play is resumed by a throw-in from out-of-bounds, the game clock shall be started when the ball is legally touched by any player within the playing area of the court.
    3. If play is resumed with a jump ball, the game clock shall be started when the ball is legally tapped.