From October 1, 2026, FIBA is changing key basketball rules: the term unsportsmanlike foul is being removed, two new categories are being introduced
The International Basketball Federation FIBA has published the official summary of rule changes that will apply in basketball from October 1, 2026. According to FIBA, the changes were approved earlier this year by members of the Central Board and are intended for all stakeholders in the game, from national federations and clubs to referees, scorekeepers' tables, coaches and players. The most visible new development will be the removal of the long-standing term unsportsmanlike foul, that is, an unsportsmanlike personal foul, which is being replaced by a more precise classification into Disruptive foul and Flagrant foul. In the official material, FIBA states that the change is being introduced to provide more proportionate punishment, clearer differentiation between tactical stopping of play and dangerous contact, and a reduction in situations in which a player is automatically exposed to stricter disciplinary consequences.
According to FIBA's announcement, the changes were prepared by the Rules Advisory Group, which includes representatives of coaches, players, referees and experts. The proposals were then considered by the FIBA Technical Commission, and finally ratified by the Central Board, the body that, within FIBA's structure, has executive responsibility for global basketball governance. FIBA points out that its official rules are the only basketball rules recognized at international level, although in details they differ from the rules in NBA, WNBA and NCAA competitions. For that reason, the changes will have a broader effect than one league or market: they will apply to international competitions, to national federations that apply FIBA rules, and to referee education systems around the world.
Why the term unsportsmanlike foul is disappearing
The biggest terminological and disciplinary change concerns the article that has so far covered unsportsmanlike personal fouls. In the official document, FIBA explains that the previous rule on disqualification from the game, under which a player could be disqualified after two technical fouls, two unsportsmanlike fouls or a combination of the two, was assessed as too strict. Instead of one broad category, two types of contact are being introduced: Disruptive foul, for actions that disrupt the flow of the game but do not reach the level of more serious unsportsmanlike or dangerous behavior, and Flagrant foul, for more serious contacts that violate the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play. According to FIBA's explanation, this is intended to ensure that only actions of greater severity lead to disqualification during the game.
FIBA defines a Disruptive foul as illegal contact by a player with an opponent that does not reach the level of a flagrant foul, but interrupts the flow of the game and puts the opponent in a less favorable position. This category includes, among other things, unnecessary contact by a defensive player who is not making a legitimate attempt to play directly on the ball in order to stop the progress of the offense in transition. The official text also cites contact by which the defense, without an actual attempt to play the ball, stops the game clock or the shot clock near the end of a quarter or overtime. Such a foul will be charged to the offender, will count as a team foul, and will be penalized with free throws and possession, with special rules if the contact was made on a player who was already in the act of shooting.
On the other hand, FIBA describes a Flagrant foul as illegal contact that, by its nature or severity, exceeds the limits of a personal or disruptive foul. In the official summary, the criteria listed include an action that is not a legitimate basketball play toward an opponent, with or without the ball, a reckless, violent or dangerous action that causes or may cause injury, and excessively hard contact in an attempt to play the ball or the opponent. The penalty for such a foul retains the severity of the previous stricter category: free throws and possession of the ball are awarded, and the foul counts among team fouls. FIBA additionally prescribes that a player will be disqualified for the remainder of the game if he receives two flagrant fouls, two category 1 technical fouls or a combination of one category 1 technical foul and one flagrant foul.
Technical fouls are divided according to severity
The changes do not stop with the replacement of the unsportsmanlike personal foul. FIBA is also introducing two categories of technical fouls, depending on their nature and level of severity. According to the official summary, category 1 technical fouls will count toward possible disqualification from the game, while category 2 technical fouls will not have such an effect. FIBA cites the need for a more balanced disciplinary system as the reason, because the previous rule did not always sufficiently distinguish behavior that seriously disrupts the game from less serious administrative or behavioral violations.
According to the document on the changes, category 1 may include behavior such as disrespect or inappropriate communication with referees, the commissioner if present, the scorekeepers' table, opponents or persons on the bench. This category may also include gestures or expressions that insult or incite the crowd, as well as challenging or provoking opponents, including contact with hands, body or ball that does not yet reach the level of a flagrant or disqualifying foul. Less serious technical situations will be separated so that they do not automatically enter the same disqualification total. For scorekeepers' tables and referees, this means an additional level of precision in recording, because the same technical foul designation will receive a different context depending on the category.
For that reason, FIBA has also provided for changes in the scoresheet and in refereeing signals. The official material states that new designations are being introduced for disruptive and flagrant fouls, as well as clearer marking of technical fouls that count toward disqualification. Fouls that enter the total for disqualification are specially marked so that the player's disciplinary status can be followed more easily. This change will not be as visible to the public as the new terminology, but it is important for the implementation of the rules in high-tempo games.
The moment in which a player is shooting is defined more precisely
The second major group of changes concerns Article 15, that is, the player in the act of shooting. In the official document, FIBA explains that a more precise definition of continuous motion and shooting became necessary because of increasingly frequent attempts by players to artificially create a situation for a shooting foul, either in transition or in an offense against a set defense. The new wording distinguishes jump shots, other shots in motion and drives to the basket. This is intended to give referees a clearer framework for assessing when contact truly occurs in a shooting action, and when a player, after contact, attempts to change the action in order to receive free throws.
For a jump shot or another shot in motion, according to the new rule text, the act of shooting begins when the player starts moving his shoulders and the ball upward in the direction of the opponents' basket. On drives to the basket, the act of shooting begins when the player has gathered the ball, when the ball rests in his hands after the end of dribbling or catching in the air, and when the player continues the shooting motion that precedes the release. FIBA emphasizes that continuous motion on drives typically refers to an action in the frontcourt, most often between the three-point line and the basket. The new definition explicitly separates location, direction of movement and body position from the mere number of steps, so the document states that there is no relationship between the number of legal steps and the act of shooting itself.
An important detail also concerns situations in which a player passes the ball after a foul. According to the new text, if a player was in the act of shooting on a jump shot or another shot in motion, but passes the ball after contact, he will no longer be considered to have remained in the act of shooting. The same applies if the ball is moving upward in a direction that is not toward the basket or if the player is not facing the basket at the moment when the ball is going upward. On drives to the basket, a player who passes the ball after a foul will also no longer be treated as a player in the act of shooting. In practice, this should reduce doubtful situations in which an offensive player, after feeling contact, subsequently turns a drive, pass or change of direction into a shot attempt.
FIBA additionally prescribes that a player must generally be in the frontcourt in order to be in the act of shooting. The exception concerns the last action before the expiration of the time of a quarter, overtime or the shot clock, when the player may be anywhere on the court. Such an exception preserves room for genuine long-distance shot attempts in the final seconds, but at the same time prevents every action from the backcourt from being interpreted as a shooting situation. For coaches and players, this means that preparation of offensive endings will have to take into account a stricter distinction between a genuine shot attempt, a pass and tactical seeking of contact.
The Instant Replay System receives new powers
FIBA is also expanding the possibilities for using the video review system, known as the Instant Replay System or IRS. According to the official announcement, one of the main changes allows review of a goaltending or basket interference situation after a called foul at any time during the game. The document explains that this is intended to eliminate errors that directly affect the score, because an incorrect decision in such situations may mean a change of two or three points in one direction or the other. This is especially important in endings, but FIBA emphasizes that a certain review may also be requested outside the last two minutes.
The second new possibility concerns throw-in situations from the sideline or endline. In the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and in every overtime, referees will, according to FIBA's summary, be able to check whether the ball was still in the thrower's hands at the moment when the defensive team committed a foul during the throw-in situation. In its explanation, FIBA states that such a situation is connected with defensive attempts to stop the game clock or the shot clock, and an incorrect assessment may directly affect the score because a foul at such a moment may be penalized by a free throw for the offensive team. The rule should help referees distinguish more precisely between contact before and after the ball leaves the thrower's hands.
The official document also states that the new review possibilities apply to the head coach's challenge rule, that is, the Head Coach's Challenge, where it is applied. FIBA points out that, according to Article F.4.2, certain time restrictions from the appendix on IRS do not apply to the head coach's challenge, so a request may be submitted at any time during the game if the prescribed framework is fulfilled. This increases the importance of timely communication between coaches, the bench and referees, because reviews will not relate only to visible contacts but also to technically precise moments, such as whether the ball had left the hands or whether basket interference occurred after contact.
Changes to the court, equipment and interpretation of dribbling
Less attractive, but practically important changes concern the appearance of the court and players' equipment. In the official announcement, FIBA states that the requirement that socks must be visible is being removed, while the document on the changes prescribes that the socks of all team members must be of the same dominant color. FIBA explains that this acknowledges the reality of modern sports equipment and reduces unnecessary administrative interruptions. For teams, this is a change that does not interfere with the game itself, but facilitates the application of uniform rules.
For the court, greater flexibility is being introduced with regard to the colors of lines and markings, on condition that the lines remain clearly visible, five centimeters wide and in strong contrast with the color of the playing surface. FIBA states that this enables better integration of event branding and commercial design, while preserving the basic standards of visibility and fairness. According to the new text, all boundary lines, including sidelines, endlines, throw-in lines and team bench area lines, must be the same color. The colors of pairs of markings on both halves of the court must match, while the center line and center circle may have different treatment from the other markings.
FIBA has also refined the article on dribbling, especially the part concerning the possibility of a second dribble. According to the new text, a player may not dribble again after his first dribble has ended, unless he has lost control of a live ball on the court for one of the listed reasons: a shot for goal, a touch of the ball by an opponent, or a situation in which the ball, during a pass or a fumble, touches another player or is touched by another player. In its explanation, FIBA states that this removes possible inconsistencies in the interpretation of double dribbling. The change is linguistic and technical, but in practice it should help referees decide more consistently when a player has truly regained the right to dribble.
What the changes mean for global basketball
FIBA has also announced additional activities to prepare the system before the rules enter into force. According to the announcement of June 26, 2026, national federations should receive a support package, and a series of webinars will begin in August. FIBA plans to publish the updated official rule interpretations, known as the Official Basketball Rules Interpretations, in September. This means that the period from July to the end of September will be crucial for the education of referees, delegates, scorekeepers' tables and clubs, because both the language of communication at games and the criteria for assessing the most sensitive contacts will change.
For players and coaches, the biggest challenge will be adapting to the stricter definition of the act of shooting and to the new separation of tactical from dangerous contacts. Teams that often use transition stoppages, intentional contacts near the end of a quarter or offensive actions built around seeking contact will have to assess the risk more carefully. Referees, meanwhile, will have to consistently distinguish a disruptive foul, a flagrant foul, a category 1 technical foul and a category 2 technical foul, with proper recording of every decision. Since FIBA emphasizes the proportionality of sanctions, the aim of the changes is not necessarily to increase the number of heavier penalties, but to determine more precisely which actions truly deserve the strictest consequences.
The changes will be implemented from October 1, 2026, and FIBA notes in the summary that the official document with the changes does not include all minor and editorial corrections. In the event of a difference between the summary and the final text of the Official Basketball Rules, the final text of the rulebook will be authoritative. This is important for national federations, professional and amateur competitions, and for all organizers who will have to incorporate the rules into the regulations of seasons that begin after that date. The key issue will be how quickly referees align their criteria and how clubs adapt training, scouting and communication with players.
Sources:
- FIBA – official publication of the summary of rule changes for 2026 and the date of entry into force (link)
- FIBA Referee Operations – official document “The FIBA Official Basketball Rules Changes”, version 1.0a, valid from October 1, 2026 (link)
- FIBA – page on the Official Basketball Rules and the international status of FIBA rules (link)
- FIBA – announcement from the Central Board meeting in Berlin and previously approved rule changes (link)