What is the bonus in basketball
The bonus, also known as the penalty situation, begins when one particular team accumulates a certain number of team fouls within a period of a basketball game.
From that point, any defensive fouls committed against an opposing player who is not in the act of shooting a field goal attempt would give that same player an opportunity to take at least one free throw.
This process would continue until the end of the period, which would also reset the number of team fouls.
Afterwards, the bonus or penalty situation would not start again until at least one team accumulates a certain number of team fouls in the next period and that procedure would also continue until the end of the basketball game.
However, it should be mentioned that free throws would not be awarded in the event of a player control foul or team control foul, both of which are not loose ball fouls as well.
Instead, the offended team would receive the ball at a designated spot, which would be a sideline or baseline, for an inbound pass opportunity.
Additionally, free throws would not occur if there is a double foul, where two members of each team receive a personal foul at approximately the same time.
What are the primary conditions that initiate the bonus or penalty situation
The primary conditions that initiate the bonus or penalty situation generally depends on the rules within the respective league of competition. Nevertheless, those conditions typically range from five team fouls to seven team fouls in a standard period of play.
Fifth team foul in a quarter within the rules of the NBA, WNBA, and FIBA
Within the rules of the NBA, WNBA, and FIBA, a team is allowed four team fouls in any regulation period, which are the common four quarters, without penalty.
However, once a team accumulates their fifth team foul in a quarter, that effectively triggers the penalty situation.
From there, the opposing team, and more particularly, the opposing player who was fouled while not in the act of shooting, would have an opportunity to take one free throw attempt plus an additional penalty free throw attempt.
Fourth team foul in any overtime period within the NBA and WNBA
Within the rules of the NBA and WNBA, a team is permitted three team fouls in any overtime period without suffering a penalty.
Nevertheless, once a team collects their fourth team foul in any overtime period, that would also initiate the overtime penalty situation.
Therefore, an opposing player who was fouled while not in the act of shooting would have an opportunity to take one free throw attempt plus an additional penalty free throw.
After the foul to give during the last two minutes of any regulation period within the NBA and WNBA
Within the NBA and WNBA, when the game clock displays 2:00, this is officially known as the two-minute period, which is, unsurprisingly, the last two minutes of a period.
So, during the last two minutes of any regulation period, which includes the first four quarters of the game, if a team does not reach its limit of four team fouls, then that same team is allowed to collect one team foul without triggering the penalty situation.
This is also typically referred to as a team having one foul to give. Basically, during the two-minute period, a player of a certain team could commit one personal foul, which is also the team foul to give that does not result in a penalty situation.
Nonetheless, if that same player or another teammate were to commit any subsequent personal fouls, then that would initiate penalty free throws for the opposing team.
To give a brief example of this, let’s say that within the NBA, which plays 12-minute quarters, Team A only accumulates one team foul during the first ten minutes of the first quarter.
Following that, during the two-minute period of that first quarter, that same team only has one foul to give before being penalized via free throws for Team B.
In essence, if a team in the NBA does not accumulate four team fouls during the first ten minutes of a regulation period, then that same team will only be allowed to collect one team foul during the last two minutes of that regulation period before the penalty situation occurs.
After the foul to give during the last two minutes of any overtime period within the NBA and WNBA
Similar to the regulation period, a team is allowed one foul to give during the last two minutes of any overtime period within the rules of the NBA and WNBA.
The major difference though is that during the overtime period, a team has an opportunity to accumulate three team fouls prior to the two-minute period as opposed to four team fouls during any regulation period.
Fifth team foul in a quarter within NCAA women’s college basketball as well as the NFHS
Within the rules of NCAA women’s college basketball as well as NFHS high school basketball, when a team accumulates their fifth team foul in a quarter, that effectively triggers the bonus for the opposing team.
From there, an opposing player who was fouled while not in the act of shooting would have an opportunity to take two free throws.
Seventh team foul in a half within NCAA men’s college basketball
Within the rules of NCAA men’s college basketball, once a team collects their seventh team foul in a half, that initiates the bonus situation for the opposing team.
However, unlike NCAA women’s basketball or NFHS high school basketball, the opposing player who was fouled while not in the act of shooting would initially take one free throw.
Afterwards, if that first free throw is successfully made, then that same player would receive another bonus free throw.
This is also commonly called a one-and-one situation because the offended player gets to shoot at least one free throw and if that free throw is a success, then there would be one more free throw opportunity for that same player.
It should be mentioned as well that NCAA men’s college basketball also implements a double bonus that occurs when a team accumulates their tenth team foul in a half of a basketball game.
Once the double bonus is in effect, a player who was fouled while not in the act of shooting always takes two free throws regardless if the first free throw is made or not.
Related: RULE NO. 12: Fouls and Penalties – NBA Official
Related: Official Rules – WNBA
Related: Men’s and Women’s college basketball rule books – NCAA Publications