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Useful Information

Major Rule Changes

4-22-1 & 2: This change removes the offensive team from goaltending violations, simplifying enforcement for officials and reducing ambiguity over whether a ball was a shot or a pass. It also encourages more scoring opportunities and minimizes confusion for players and coaches.

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4-22-3 (NEW): This rule change establishes that once the ball contacts the backboard, it is automatically considered to be on its downward flight. Therefore, if a player touches the ball after it hits the backboard, and the ball has a possibility of entering the basket, it is ruled as goaltending.

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7-5-4: This rule change updates the procedure for determining the designated throw-in spot following a stoppage of play (not due to the ball going out of bounds) in the frontcourt and backcourt. Instead of relying on an imaginary line, officials now use existing court markings, specifically the three-point line, to determine the location. This change improves accuracy, consistency, and clarity for officials by using visible floor markings rather than imaginary lines, which were often misjudged.

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9-2-12 & 9-3-4 (NEW): This rule change addresses situations where a thrower purposely and/or deceitfully delays returning inbounds after legally stepping out of bounds and then becomes the first player to touch the ball upon re-entering the court. Previously penalized as a technical foul, this action is now treated as a violation, aligning it with similar out-of-bounds scenarios. The change reduces the severity of the penalty to encourage more consistent enforcement by officials and prevents players from gaining an unfair advantage through deceptive re-entry tactics.

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10-4-4b: This rule prohibits players from illegally contacting the backboard or ring in ways that create an unfair advantage or interfere with a scoring attempt. This rule is designed to maintain fair play and protect the integrity of scoring opportunities by penalizing actions affecting the outcome of a shot, with a technical foul.

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4-6-1a & b (NEW): This rule change clarifies and expands the definition of basket interference to include additional actions that unfairly affect the ball while it is in a scoring position. Basket interference now occurs when a player slaps or strikes the backboard, causing the backboard or basket to vibrate, while the ball is on or within the basket, touching the backboard, or within the cylinder.

Faking Being Fouled, Best Practices

The NFHS Basketball Rules Committee has developed the situations below to assist in the education of officials as to how to adjudicate Faking Being Fouled warnings and technical fouls. While the committee has done their best to illustrate the most common examples, they know there will be situations that the committee did not capture here. Please use the following as guidelines for adjudicating Faking Being Fouled penalties.
In the examples below, Team A is always on offense and Team B is always on defense.


1. Offensive player, A1, is dribbling the ball and fakes being fouled by a defender. This is described in the rules as using a “head bob” to simulate illegal contact. In this play, the team that is faking being fouled is on offense and there is player control of the ball. (4-49-1b)
Adjudication: When does the official blow the whistle and signal for both the first and subsequent infractions?

  • As soon as the official identifies behavior that, in their opinion, rises to the level of faking being fouled the whistle should be blown and the faking signal (New #15) should be displayed.

    • First Infraction – Team A has control of the ball, so the official will report the warning to the table, notify the head coach, and then go to the point of interruption (POI). If A1 is in Team A’s frontcourt, Team A will have a throw-in at one of the four designated spots closest to where the faking being fouled occurred. If A1 is in Team A’s backcourt, the throw-in will be from the spot out of bounds closest to where the faking being fouled occurred. (4-36-2a)

    • Subsequent Infraction – A team technical foul is charged to Team A. Team B will shoot two free throws and get the ball for a division line throw-in opposite the scorer’s table. (10-2-1h, 10-2 PENALTY)

 

2. Offensive player, A1, after releasing a jump shot, goes to the floor without contact or after incidental contact. This is described in the rules as overtly embellishing the impact of incidental contact on an attempted try for goal. In this play, the team that is faking being fouled is again on offense; however, there is NO team control since the ball was released on a try for goal. (4-49-1a)
Adjudication: When does the official blow the whistle and signal for both the first and subsequent infractions?

  • As soon as the official identifies behavior that, in their opinion, rises to the level of faking being fouled the whistle should be blown and the faking signal (New #15) should be displayed.

    • First Infraction (Successful Try) – There is NO team control, so when the try is successful, the basket will count, the official will report the warning to the table, notify the head coach and Team B will be awarded the ball on the endline. Team B may move along the endline as after any successful try. (7-5-7)

    • First Infraction (Unsuccessful Try) – There is NO team control, and since the try was unsuccessful the ball became dead when the try ended. There is NO rebounding on this play. The official will report the warning to the table, notify the head coach and the ball will be awarded based on the possession arrow. If Team A retains control in its frontcourt, the throw-in will be from one of the four designated spots nearest to where the faking being fouled occurred. If Team B gains control in its backcourt, the throw-in will be from the spot out of bounds closest to where the faking being fouled occurred. (6-4-3, 6-4-4g)

    • Subsequent Infraction – A team technical foul is charged to Team A. Team B will shoot two free throws and get the ball for a division line throw-in opposite the scorer’s table. (10-2-1h, 10-2 PENALTY)

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3. Defensive player, B1, attempting to “draw a charge” goes to the floor with no or incidental contact. This is described in the rules as overtly embellishing the impact of incidental contact on block/charge plays. In this play, the team faking being fouled is on defense and thus the offended team (Team A) has team control. (4-49-1a)
Adjudication: When does the official blow the whistle and signal for both the first and subsequent infractions?

  • The official should signal faking being fouled (New #15) as soon as the official identifies behavior that, in their opinion, rises to the level of faking being fouled. The official should withhold the whistle so as not to penalize the offensive team for actions of the defense.

    • First Infraction – The team that is faking being fouled is on defense. The official will display the faking being foul signal (New #15) when the official recognizes the behavior but will withhold the whistle until: (a) Team A scores – repeated attempts at the basket are allowed; OR (b) Team B gains control of the ball. Once Team A scores OR Team B gains control, the official will sound the whistle, report the warning to the table, and notify the head coach.

      • Successful Try – The basket will count. Team B will be awarded the ball on the endline and may move along the endline as after any successful try. (7-5-7)

      • Team B Gains Control – Team B is awarded a throw-in from the spot out of bounds closest to where they gained control. (7-5-3b)

    • 2nd/subsequent infraction – The same procedures as above apply.

      • Successful Try – The basket will count. A team technical foul is charged to Team B. Team A will shoot two free throws and get the ball for a division line throw-in opposite the scorer’s table. (10-2-1h, 10-2 PENALTY)

      • Team B Gains Control – A team technical foul is charged to Team B. Team A will shoot two free throws and get the ball for a division line throw-in opposite the scorer’s table. (10-2-1h, 10-2 PENALTY)

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