Basketball Rules of the Game
Senior 6 · Physical Education
Basketball Rules of the Game
Lesson 5 of 5
25 min
A referee blows the whistle for a foul. The game clock stops, but not because of the whistle: a timer at the table is watching the referee and stops it. A basketball game is run by two teams of officials working together: the referees on the court and the table officials beside it, sometimes with a commissioner and an Instant Replay System. This lesson covers their duties under Articles 46 to 51 and Appendices A and F of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026, their signals, and how a crew covers the court.
Definition
Crew chief: the senior referee, who has the final word when the referees disagree and approves the scoresheet.
Umpire: each of the other one or two referees on the court.
Table officials: the scorer, assistant scorer, timer and shot clock operator.
Commissioner (also called technical delegate): an official who, if appointed, sits between the scorer and the timer and supervises the table officials.
Instant Replay System (IRS): video review that the referees may use in defined situations; a head coach may ask for it once a game with a head coach's challenge.
| Official | Duties |
|---|---|
| Crew chief | Inspects and approves all equipment; chooses the game ball from at least 2 used balls supplied by the home team; tosses the opening jump ball; may stop the game or declare a forfeit; makes the final decision when the referees disagree; checks and signs the scoresheet. The referees' power starts when they arrive on the court 20 minutes before the game and ends with the game-clock signal for the end of the game, as approved by the crew chief |
| Umpire(s) | Decide on infractions anywhere, inside or outside the boundary lines, within the limits of their duties; no referee may disregard or question another referee's call |
| Scorer | Keeps the scoresheet: players and substitutes, the running score, every foul, time-outs, the head coach's challenge; operates the alternating possession arrow |
| Assistant scorer | Operates the scoreboard and helps the scorer and timer; if the scoreboard and scoresheet disagree, the scoresheet wins |
| Timer | Runs the game clock, time-outs and intervals; raises the player foul markers and the team foul marker (fully red after the 4th team foul); tells a referee when a player has 5 fouls; raises the game-disqualification (GD) marker; signals substitutions and time-out requests |
| Shot clock operator | Starts, stops and resets the 24-second clock |
| Commissioner (if present) | Sits between scorer and timer, supervises the table officials and helps the referees |
The referees whistle for an infraction, the end of a quarter, or when they must stop the game. They do not whistle after a successful goal or free throw, or when the ball becomes live. In judging contact they apply advantage and disadvantage: incidental contact that gives no advantage and puts no one at a disadvantage is not a foul.
Referees work in a crew of two (Lead and Trail) or three (Lead, Centre and Trail). The Lead works from the end line ahead of the play; the Trail stays behind the play; in a three-person crew the Centre works from the sideline opposite the Trail. Positions rotate as play moves, and each referee watches the players in his or her area rather than following the ball, so that every player is seen by someone.
Only the hand signals in Appendix A are valid. The most used:
| Group | Decision and signal |
|---|---|
| Clock | Stop the clock: open palm. Stop the clock for a foul: one clenched fist. Start the clock: chop with the hand. Shot clock reset: rotate the hand, index finger extended |
| Scoring | 1 point: one finger, "flag" from the wrist. 2 points: two fingers. 3-point attempt: three fingers on one arm; successful: both arms. Cancel score: scissor action of the arms across the chest |
| Substitution and time-out | Substitution: cross the forearms. Beckon in: open palm waved towards the body. Time-out: form a T, index finger shown |
| Violations | Travelling: rotate the fists. Double dribble: patting motion. Carrying: half rotation of the palm. 3, 5 or 8 seconds: show the fingers. Shot clock: fingers touch the shoulder. Backcourt: wave the arm in front of the body. Kicked ball: point to the foot. Goaltending or basket interference: rotate a finger over the other hand |
| Fouls | Holding: grasp the wrist downward. Blocking: both hands on hips. Charging with the ball: fist strikes the open palm. Pushing: imitate a push. Illegal use of hands: strike the wrist. Hand-checking: grab the palm and move forward |
| Special fouls (2026) | Technical: T with the palms. Disruptive: one arm with clenched fist, then show 2 fingers at face level. Flagrant: grasp the wrist upward. Disqualifying: clenched fists on both hands. Double foul: wave clenched fists. Fake a foul: lower the forearm twice. Delay of game: wave the forearm horizontally twice |
| Replay | IRS review: rotate the hand with the index finger horizontal. The head coach asks for a challenge by saying "challenge" and drawing a rectangle with the hands |
Reporting a foul to the table follows a fixed order: whistle and clenched fist (stop the clock for a foul); move to a clear spot in front of the table; show the offender's number; show the type of foul; show the penalty, either the number of free throws or the direction of the throw-in. Numbers 1 to 5 are shown on one hand, 6 to 10 as five on one hand plus the rest on the other, and two-digit numbers such as 24 by showing the tens with the back of the hand, then the units with the open hand.
Worked example
Worked example 1: reporting a shooting foul. B24 hits A9's arm on a missed 3-point attempt.
Worked example
Worked example 2: a head coach's challenge. With 4:20 left in the third quarter, a referee calls a shooting foul on a 2-point attempt. Team B's head coach believes the shooter was behind the arc.
Video: "Learn to Referee Basketball: Intro to Two-Person Mechanics", OBA Ontario Basketball. Watch where the Lead and the Trail stand and how they switch when possession changes.
Tip
Running a school tournament. Train pupils as table officials first: a timer with a stopwatch and a whistle or horn, a scorer with a printed scoresheet, a foul-marker holder and someone to turn the arrow. Teach referees three habits: whistle, then signal clearly, then report slowly to the table. A call made calmly is accepted more easily.
Warning
Common mistakes. The timer's signal does not stop the game or the clock; only a referee's whistle makes the ball dead. Referees do not whistle after a goal or a successful free throw. The scoresheet, not the scoreboard, is the official record. A referee may not reverse a colleague's call; when they disagree, the crew chief decides.
Practice
Remember
Further reading
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
