What is a personal foul in basketball
A personal foul is an infraction that occurs during a basketball game when a player uses any part of their body such as their hands, arms, legs, or feet to make illegal contact with an opposing player.
When is a player subject to receiving a personal foul
A player is subject to receiving a personal foul for illegal contact at the time of or following an inbound pass situation, free throw shot opportunity, or when the basketball is tossed by an official during a jump ball scenario.
It should also be noted that these particular instances (i.e inbound pass, free throw shot attempt, jump ball) are generally known as live ball. So in other words, a personal foul can occur anytime the ball is live.
It should be mentioned as well that within the rules of the NBA, if illegal contact occurs before the ball is live, then that same contact would be ignored unless it is unsportsmanlike conduct or a flagrant foul.
What generally happens immediately after a personal foul gets called
Immediately after a personal foul gets called on a player, the referee will blow the whistle to stop play, which also makes the ball become dead.
Afterwards, an official timer will stop the game clock and the referee will give the uniform/jersey number of the fouling player as well as the type of personal foul to the official scorer, usually via hand signals and/or verbal communication.
From there, any applicable penalties because of the personal foul will be implemented and executed.
What are the common penalties for a personal foul
Personal foul added to the total number of the offending player
When a player gets charged with a personal foul, it will be recorded, typically as a statistic by an official scorer, and added to the total number of personal fouls for that player.
What’s more, this could occur regardless if the personal foul was committed by an offensive player, which would be an offensive foul or if the personal foul was committed by a defensive player, which would make it a defensive foul as well.
Team foul added if the personal foul was on a defender
If the player who was called for the personal foul was also a defender, then that will result in that same player’s team being charged with a team foul as well.
However, it should be noted that a team will not be charged with a team foul if personal fouls are charged to one player of each team at about the same time, which are also known as double fouls.
Additionally, within the rules of the NBA and WNBA, a team will not be subject to receiving a team foul if a personal foul is charged to an offensive player.
Free throw attempt(s) for the offensive player in the act of shooting
If a defender gets charged with a personal foul while an offensive player is in the act of shooting, then the penalty will be one or more free throw attempts for the offensive player.
If the offensive player successfully makes a two-point or three-point field goal attempt during or immediately after the personal foul, then that same player will receive one free throw attempt.
Conversely, if the offensive player does not make the a two-point or three-point field goal attempt during or immediately after the personal foul, then that same player will receive two or three free throw attempts respectively.
Free throw attempt(s) for an offensive team in the bonus
If a defender gets called for a personal foul and at the same time, the defender’s team has reached a certain number of team fouls within a period of a basketball game, then that could trigger the bonus or penalty situation for the offensive team.
During the bonus, an offensive player who was fouled would be able to attempt one or two bonus free throws.
Nevertheless, it should be stated that bonus free throws would not be awarded in the event of a player control foul or team control foul.
Instead, the offended team who endured the player control or team control foul would receive the ball at the nearest sideline for an inbound pass opportunity.
Also, according to the NCAA men’s college basketball rule book, a player control foul happens when an offensive player in control of the ball commits a personal foul against an opponent.
Moreover, a team control foul occurs when an offensive player, typically without possession of the ball, commits a personal foul against an opponent.
Free throw attempts for an offensive player as a result of a clear-path-to-the-basket foul
Within the NBA and WNBA, if a defender commits a clear-path-to-the-basket foul, which is a personal foul against an offensive player during a transition offense scoring opportunity, then that offensive player will have an opportunity to shoot two free throws.
It should also be mentioned that an offensive player has a clear-path-to-the-basket when the ball is ahead of the tip of the circle in the backcourt, there is no defender ahead of the offensive player who has an opportunity to score, and the offensive player is either in control of the ball or the offensive player is in the process of receiving a pass from a teammate.
Furthermore, following the call against the defender who committed the clear-path-to-the-basket foul, the offensive team would be awarded the ball on the sideline that is nearest the spot where the foul occurred.
It should be noted though that if an offensive player gets fouled while in the act of shooting, even if that player is technically ahead of the defense, then this will not trigger the clear-path-to-the-basket foul.
Instead, the defender would typically be charged with a common personal foul and the offensive player who was fouled would shoot at least one free throw.
However, the offensive team would not receive the ball again after the free throws for the shooting foul.
Moreover, the clear-path-to-the-basket foul would not be charged if the defender was attempting to deflect or intercept a pass that was intended for the player who had an opportunity to score points during transition offense.
Sideline or baseline inbound pass while not in the act of shooting
If a defender gets charged with a personal foul on an offensive player who is not in the act of shooting, then the offensive team will commonly execute an inbound pass at a designated spot near the sideline or baseline.
Sideline or baseline inbound pass following a player control or team control foul
If an offensive player in possession of the ball gets charged with a player control foul, which is a type of personal foul, then the opposing team will be awarded the ball out of bounds at a designated spot near the sideline or baseline.
Somewhat similarly, if an offensive player, whose team has possession of the ball, gets charged with a team control foul, another type of personal foul, then the opposing team will be awarded the ball out of bounds at a designated spot near the sideline or baseline.
What is additional general information about personal fouls
Certain number of personal fouls allowed
Generally speaking, in most forms of organized competition, players are allowed a certain number of personal fouls, primarily depending on the rules of that competitive league.
For example, within the rules of NFHS high school basketball, NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball, as well as FIBA competitive leagues, players are allowed five personal fouls.
Additionally, within the rules of the NBA and WNBA, players are allowed six personal fouls.
Disqualification due to reaching maximum number of allowed personal fouls
When a player reaches their maximum number of allowed personal fouls, this means the player has fouled out. Afterwards, that same player will typically be disqualified from continuing to compete in the basketball game.
Following that, the disqualified player will usually be replaced with a substitution player who was previously on the team’s bench.
Personal foul disqualification but a substitute is not available
However, there is an exception to the disqualification rule in the NBA and the WNBA. Basically, if a substitute player is not available to replace the player with six fouls, primarily because all possible substitutes have also fouled out and have been disqualified from the game, then that same player with six fouls shall remain in the game.
This is because within the rules of the NBA and WNBA, teams must always have five players on the court at all times.
Furthermore, a technical foul will be assessed against that player’s team and any subsequent personal fouls from that player, including offensive fouls will result in a technical foul.
This rule would also apply to any other players on the court who receive their sixth personal foul as well.
Conversely though, in men’s and women’s college basketball, if a player fouls out of the game and no substitutes are available, an exception to the rule would occur that allows the team to play with less than five players on the court.
Moreover, within the rules of NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball, teams cannot have more than five players on the court but not necessarily less than five.
Therefore, if a player is disqualified from the game due to personal fouls but no substitution player is available to replace them, then the team is permitted to compete with less players.
That process could even continue until there is only one player available for any particular team and at that point, it will usually lead to a team forfeit unless the referee thinks that both teams still have a chance to win the game.
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