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How many substitutes in basketball


Basketball rules simply explained

The Basics

A court, two teams, two baskets and a ball - that's all you need. Here, you will learn more about the requirements of a basketball game.

Players

In basketball, there are a total of ten players on the field at the same time, five per team. In addition, a team can have up to seven substitute players with unlimited substitutions.

The starting line-up, also called Starting Five, usually consists of a center, two forwards and two guards. Variations are also possible.

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Scoring

The object of basketball is to throw the ball into the opposing team's basket, placed 10 feet (3.05m) above the court on opposite ends of the rectangular court. Free throws are worth 1 point, a field goal is worth 2 points. If the shot is taken from behind the three point line it is worth 3 points. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

The object of basketball is to throw the ball into the basket.

Game length

Under FIBA rules, a game is divided into four quarters, each lasting 10 minutes. In the NBA each quarter lasts 12 minutes. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, overtime periods of 5 minutes are played until a winner is determined.

The most important rules of basketball

Goaltending, dribbling, 8 second rule - lost yet? If you need a refresher on the rules of basketball - fret no more! In this article we will tell you everything you need to know about basketball.

By the way: The rules of basketball may differ slightly from league to league, such as FIBA, NBA or NCAA.

In basketball there are many rules, for example concerning player contact.

Fouls

In basketball there are four types of fouls:

Personal foul: irregular contact (defensive foul, offensive foul)
Technical foul: technical violations and lack of discipline (e.g. disregard of referee decisions, provocation, too many players on the court)
Unsportsmanlike foul: An unsporting foul is a noncontact technical foul which consists of unfair, unethical, dishonorable conduct or any behavior not in accordance with the spirit of fair play.
Disqualifying foul: flagrant unsportsmanlike behaviour

Defensive Foul

A defender may only defend against an attacker in possession of the ball to a limited extent. Holding, blocking, kicking, jerking, tripping or obstruction with outstretched arms, elbows or legs are not permitted.

Offensive Foul

An attacker in possession of the ball commits a foul when there is contact with a defender who is either in a legal defensive position or moving backwards. Typical offensive fouls include pushing the defender away with the forearm or elbow contact.

Look but don't touch: When dealing with opponents, attackers and defenders need to observe several rules.
Penalties

After one disqualifying foul or two unsportsmanlike fouls a player is ejected from the game and they have to immediately leave the arena or remain in the locker room until the game is over. A player is no longer allowed to participate in the game when they have accumulated five personal or technical fouls.

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Time violations

Basketball is characterized by its fast pace. This is mainly due to the time rules, which specify how long certain actions may last.

24 second shot clock

As soon as the ball enters play, the shot clock starts counting down from 24, which is the maximum amount of time an offensive play is allowed to last. The 24 second shot clock is reset once the ball touches the rim of the basket. It is also reset for ball possession changes, fouls or when a player touches the ball with their foot.

8 second rule

When a team gains possession of the ball, they need to move the ball into the opposing team's half of the court within 8 seconds.

3 second rule

During an attack, the defending players may remain in the opponent's zone for a maximum of three seconds. It does not matter whether they are in possession of the ball or not.

Referees, however, are often generous with this rule and rarely penalise infringements, especially at a high level.

5 second rule

On an inbound pass, a player may only hold on the ball for a maximum of 5 seconds.

In the game, if a player is closely guarded, they must start dribbling, passing the ball or attempting a shot within five seconds.

Upon violation of this rule, an inbound pass is awarded to the oppossing team.

Out-of-bounds

If the ball or the player with the ball touches the ground on or behind the sideline, the ball is out of bounds.

Travelling

As soon as the player in possession of the ball stops dribbling, they can only take two more steps. They then need to either pass the ball or make a shot attempt. The player may lift their pivot leg for a shot attempt but they may no longer touch the ground with that leg unless the ball has left their hands.

Outside of time violations, players also need to be wary of many other rule violations.

Foot contact

Touching the playing ball with the foot, knee or leg is considered foot contact. A distinction is made between defenders and attackers: br/>
• When a defender commits foot contact, the shot clock is reset to 14 seconds if more than ten seconds have passed
• When an attacker commits foot contact, the ball is turned over to the oppossing team and the shot clock is reset to 24 seconds.

Backcourt violation

When on offense, no player of the team currently in possession of the ball may pass the ball from the oppossing teams half, the frontcourt, to their own half, the backcourt.

Double dribble

If an attacker picks up the ball after dribbling, he must not start dribbling again. Otherwise, the opponent is awarded an inbound pass from the side line.

Goaltending

If a defensive player interferes with a shot while it's on the way down toward the basket, while it's on the way up toward the basket after having touched the backboard, or while it's in the cylinder above the rim, it's goaltending and the shot counts. If committed by an offensive player, it's a violation and the ball is awarded to the opposing team for a throw-in.

Ready to drain some shots?

Now that you are familiar with the basic rules of basketball you are ready to (pick &) roll - regardless of whether you want to dribble across the court yourself or just watch from the bleachers.

If you want to look good as a player or as a fan, our basketball products are just what the doctor ordered.

Want to read more about basketball? In this article we present basketball dribbling exercises. Or read about dunking in basketball.

Have fun playing or cheering on your favorite players!

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Photo credits: Pictures 1-3; 5: © iStock / Dmytro Aksonov; Picture 4: © iStock /Geber86; Picture 6: © iStock /skynesher.

Basketball Substitutions

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Table of Contents

  • Substitutions In Basketball
  • How Players Substitute In
  • When Teams Substitute
  • Rotations And Substitutions
  • FAQ

Substitutions In Basketball

A substitution in basketball is when one player on the court is replaced by a player from the bench.  Both teams’ benches are located on the same sideline of the court.

Players that are substituted into the game must be on the team roster and the active list. There is no limit to the number of substitutions a team can make during a game. Players must be substituted during a dead ball, meaning that play is stopped.

When a player is fouled out or leaves the court for any reason, they must be replaced by a substitute. Each team must have five players on the court at all times.

How Players Substitute In

When one or more players are selected by their coach to enter the game, they must first check-in at the scorer’s table. This is located in between the benches at midcourt. Once they are at the scorer’s table, the player(s) must wait until a dead ball situation to enter the game. 

Any players entering the game must report who they are replacing. When a substitution is made, the buzzer sounds briefly, and the removed player(s) go to the bench while the substitutes take the court.

When Teams Substitute

In basketball, teams are only allowed to make substitutions when the ball is dead and the clock has stopped.

The referee will call a dead ball after the following situations in a basketball game:

  • the ball is carried or thrown out of bounds
  • a foul or violation is called
  • a player injury occurs
  • a timeout is called

The only exceptions to the dead ball substitution rule are when a player on the court is bleeding or seriously injured and must be replaced immediately. 

Rotations And Substitutions

A rotation is a substitution strategy used by coaches to maximize their top player's performance. Rotations are defined schedules that coaches make to determine how much playing time each player will get in a game. Rotation plans not only factor in playing time, but also break time. It is important for the star players of a team to rest and for other players to gain experience on the court. In a typical 48-minute NBA game, starting players get about 25-35 minutes per game.  

FAQ

How many substitutions can be made in a basketball game?

Unlike soccer, basketball does not have any substitution limits. You can substitute in as many players as you need to in basketball, or as few as you would like.

When can you make your first substitution in basketball?

You can make your first substitution as soon as the first dead ball is called or an injury occurs. There is no minimum time required before substitutions can be made in a basketball game.

How many players have to be on the court?

In a basketball game, there should always be ten players on the court; five players from one team and five from another. If someone is taken out of the game, a substitute must replace them. The only time a team will have less than five players on the court is if all available substitutes have fouled out or are injured. However, this rarely happens.

What is the sixth man in basketball?

The term sixth man refers to the first player to be substituted into the game, making them the sixth player to play for their team. Each team likely has one player that is typically subbed in first, and they can be an extremely important player when it comes to revitalizing a team’s energy and scoring off of the bench.

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Pages Related to Basketball Substitutions

  • Basketball Shot Clock
  • Basketball Salary Cap
  • Basketball Shot Clock Violation
  • Basketball Timeouts
  • Basketball Traveling Rules
  • Basketball Tipoff

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Basketball rules. Substitution

Substitution is the suspension of the game process, at the request of one of the substitute players, in order to exchange players. An unlimited number of substitutions can be made during the game. The substitution process takes place after the stoppage of playing time.

The team has the right to make a substitution immediately after the need arises.

The chance to make a substitution occurs after

  • the ball becomes dead and the game clock stops. After the referee has finished showing a special gesture to the scorer's table.
  • A goal was thrown into the basket of the team that requested the substitution, either in the last few minutes of the last period or in the last minutes of extra periods.

Players' chance to make a substitution ends when:

  • when the ball is in the player's hands for the player's first or only free throw.
  • when the ball is in the hands of the player who will throw the ball in from outside the playing area.

After a substitution has taken place, and the player becomes a substitute, and a substitute player, they have no right to return to their previous positions. They have such a right after the ball becomes dead again, after starting the countdown.

An exception may be the fact that the team has less than the required number of players. The player who is involved in the correction of the error is already on his team bench after a correct substitution. A team member who was injured and received first aid or stopped bleeding was able to recover during the timeout.

Substitution procedure

A substitute may request a substitution operation. The player must go to the table at which the scorers are sitting and clearly ask for a substitution. To do this, in basketball there is a certain gesture or it is necessary to take a special place allocated for substitute players and indicating a replacement. This player must be prepared for the fact that he can start the game immediately and this can happen at any time.

You can cancel a substitution request until the game clock is suspended and a special sound signal sounds.

As soon as there is a chance to change players in the game, the scorer is obliged to notify the referee about this - to give a special signal. At this moment, the secretary is obliged to convey to the referee the news about the desire to replace one of the substitute players.

The substitute who is about to start the game must remain behind the boundary line until the referee himself signals with a special signal that the substitution has been made. The referee personally, with the help of a gesture, will invite a substitute player to the field, which will indicate the replacement. The player who is replaced is entitled to leave the court and takes his place on the bench of his team. It is not necessary to inform either the referee or the secretary about the replacement.

Substitutions within their time frames are very fast. Sometimes during the game, inattentive fans do not even notice this process. The player who has been disqualified by the referee or committed five fouls must be replaced on the field immediately. If the referee considers that the team is deliberately delaying the replacement process, then it loses one of the timeouts.

If a team has run out of time-outs, a technical foul may be charged to the team coach.

If the substitution process will take place during a time-out or during an official break, the substitute who is to start the game must first warn the referee about the substitution and only then start the game.

The player who will shoot the free throw is entitled to a substitution if:

  • the request to make a substitution is made before all chances of substitution are over, before the first or only free throw is taken.
  • The ball will become dead after the free throw has been taken. If the player who took the free throw is substituted immediately after the ball is dead. Then the opposing team also gets the right to make a replacement of players on the conditions that the request for a replacement will come before the ball becomes live.

The player who will take the free throw must be substituted if:

  • if he is injured,
  • if the player commits five fouls,
  • if the player is disqualified.

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Substitution Restrictions

Substitution may not be made after a free throw or between multiple free throws. If they were caused by a penalty for breaking a rule, until the ball is dead again.

An exception may be:

  • a violation of the rules is recorded during free throws. In such a case, the throws must be taken and substitution is permitted until the penalty for a new infraction is administered.
  • The foul must be called before the ball becomes live again after the free throw. In such a case, the referee authorizes the substitution to be made before the penalty for a new infraction is administered.
  • The violation must be called before the ball becomes live again after the free throw. In this case, the substitution is allowed before the throw-in from outside the field of play.

If multiple free throws are made resulting in more than one foul penalty, then each free throw must be treated separately.

No substitution may be made by the team that scores the ball into the basket in the last two minutes of the end period, or in the last two minutes of each of the extra periods.

An exception may be the stop of the game process by the referee himself. The team in whose basket the ball was thrown gets the chance to make a substitution. By the way, to keep yourself in good shape, you can sign up for a fitness club https://multisport.ru/

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general procedure and special cases

A substitute is eligible to become a player. The implementation of such a right by a substitute is carried out at his request. At this time, the game stops, which is called a substitution.

Situations where replacement is possible

The possibility of replacement appears in strictly defined standard cases, which can be divided into two groups:

  1. for both teams,
  2. for one of the two commands.

First group situations:

  1. the ball became dead, the game clock was stopped, the referee completed the interaction with the scorer's table;
  2. The last successful free throw was successfully executed, but after it the ball became “dead”.

One case belongs to the second group. In particular, it is the game moment with the following parameters:

  1. on the game clock 2:00 minutes or less than 2:00 minutes in the fourth quarter; every overtime;
  2. at the above time of the corresponding period of the game, the ball is thrown into the basket.

In the case described above, the team in whose basket the ball was scored is entitled to a substitution. A substitution is allowed if the referee interrupts the game.

Non-standard replacement possibility situation

A player is to be substituted if he receives medical or other assistance. An exception to this rule is when there are less than 5 players left on the court.

Replacement expiry times

Terminates a replacement situation with one of two actions:

  1. the ball is at the player's disposal;
  2. The first free throw is taken.

Conditions for the return of a substitute from the game to the row of substitutes (player in the game from the team bench)

Conditions of this kind are divided into general and exceptional. The only general condition is that the ball has become dead again after the timing phase.

Exceptional conditions include:

  1. less than 5 players left on the playing field;
  2. A corrected player is on the team bench as a result of a corrected free throw.

General replacement procedure

Only the spare has the right to request a replacement. Replacement production is a series of sequential actions.

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  1. The substitute comes to the scorer's table and properly asks for a substitution, ie shows the appropriate gesture with his hands, or sits down in a chair for substitution. The indicated action must be taken directly by the substitute. The head coach or first assistant coach is prevented from performing this action for a substitute. At the time of the request, the substitute must be ready to play immediately.
  2. The timekeeper gives a signal to inform the officials that a request for a substitution has been made at the time of the opportunity to make it. Thus, the request for replacement can only be canceled before the specified signal.
  3. The substitute remains behind the boundary line until the whistle is blown and the referee signals a substitution.
  4. The referee calls for a substitute to enter the playing court.
  5. The substituted player is immediately sent to his team bench. He is not required to inform the timekeeper or referee about the substitution.

Changes must be made quickly. The replacement of a player who has committed 5 fouls or is disqualified is carried out immediately, that is, no longer than 30 seconds.

Delay sanction

The sleep judge decides on the basis of his own opinion that a delay has occurred. The team's penalty for delaying the production of a substitution is a time-out. If the time-outs are exhausted, then the delay sanction is a technical foul, which is the punishment of the head coach of the offending team, recorded as “B”.

Additional substitution rule during a time-out, break in the game

A substitute must report the substitution to the timekeeper before entering the game when the substitution is made during a time-out or during an interval of play. An exception to this additional rule is a substitution during the half-time interval.

Substitute for free throw shooter

During the game, it is possible to replace a player taking a free throw or free throws if during execution:

  1. he was injured;
  2. committed 5 fouls;
  3. was disqualified.

In either of the above cases, the free throw or free throws are taken by a substitute after a substitution of an eliminated player has taken place. A substitute of the indicated type of substitution cannot be replaced until he plays in the next phase of the game clock.

Substitution during first free throw

When a request for a substitution is made while the ball is in the possession of a player who intends to take the first free throw, it may be granted if:

  1. successful execution of the last free throw;
  2. throw-in immediately following the last unsuccessful free throw;
  3. calling a foul between free throws;
  4. calling a foul before the ball became live after the last free throw;
  5. calling a violation before the ball became live after the last free throw.

In the cases listed, a request for a substitution may come from any team. In the third, fourth and fifth cases, special conditions for the production of a replacement are provided.

A special substitution condition in the event of a call for a foul between free throws is that the substitution is allowed before the start of a new foul penalty, unless otherwise provided by the rules of the game.

When a foul is called before the ball has become live after a free throw has been taken, the substitution is unambiguously permitted only until the next foul penalty is enforced.

If a violation is called before the ball became live after a free throw, the substitution is allowed until the throw-in is taken.

However, each consecutive free throw and/or possession streak occurring on the basis of more than one foul penalty is treated separately.

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