Goaltending and Basket Interference Addressed in 2025-26 Basketball Rules Changes

BY NFHS ON May 21, 2025

A trio of changes to address when goaltending and basket interference are called are among the changes to high school basketball rules for the 2025-26 season.These revisions to the NFHS Basketball Rules Book are among the six changes recommended by the Basketball Rules Committee during its April 28-30 meeting in Indianapolis – all of which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Rule 4-22-3 has been added to indicate that a ball is considered to be on its downward flight once it contacts the backboard on a legitimate shot attempt. Therefore, it is goaltending if a defensive player touches the ball after it contacts the backboard. Prior to this change, an official determined if a shot attempt was still ascending and out of the cylinder before goaltending could be called.“ By establishing that a ball is considered to be on its downward flight upon contacting the backboard, this rule change introduces a clear and objective standard,” said Monica Maxwell, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Basketball Rules Committee. “It significantly reduces the need for officials to make subjective judgments regarding the trajectory of a shot, thereby enhancing consistency and accuracy in goaltending calls.”

Rules 4-22-1 and 4-22-2 were amended to indicate that only a defensive player can commit goaltending, eliminating the possibility of an offensive goaltending violation. The change removes the need to determine whether a ball in flight is a field-goal attempt or a pass. Any alteration of a shot attempt with contact to the basket or backboard by an offensive player would be considered basket interference.

Additionally, the act of intentionally slapping or striking the backboard during a shot attempt will now result in basket interference and not a technical foul. This addition of new Rule 4-6-2 and corresponding removal of Rule 10-4-4b from the “Player Technical” section aims to standardize officiating and remove intent from the decision.

Similarly, it is a violation for a player to purposely or deceitfully delay a return to the court after being out of bounds and be the first to touch the ball in new language added in Rules 9-2-12 and 9-3-4. This change removes the act from Rule 10-4-2, which called for a technical foul and lessens the penalty to a violation.

In a change to Rule 4-34-1, all players in the game will be considered bench personnel once an official signals for a time-out. This change ensures consistent enforcement of penalties for unsporting conduct by allowing officials to issue technical fouls to bench personnel during time-outs. Prior to this change, if a player warranted a penalty for unsporting conduct during a time-out, an official was required to determine if the player had been in the game or on the bench. “One of the points of emphasis this year will be bench decorum,” said Billy Strickland, executive director of the Alaska School Activities Association and chair of the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee. “How can we help coaches and officials know that communication is a two-way street? It just needs to be done a proper manner.”

The determination of the location for a throw-in after a stoppage of play was adjusted in Rule 7-5-4 using the three-point line. If a violation occurs on or within the three-point line, the designated spot will be on the end line. A throw-in will be on the sideline if the violation occurs outside the three-point line. This rule change eliminates the use of the imaginary line to determine a throw-in spot.

BASKETBALL RULES CHANGES

BY NFHS ON May 7, 2024

1-19: Limits the use of electronic devices used during a game for the purposes of recording and tracking stats, reviewing or diagramming plays, or other similar contest related functions.
Rationale: Clarifies the type of electronic devices that are allowed during the game, prohibiting the use of voice and video recording devices worn during a contest.

2-11-11: Requires the non-official scorer(s) to compare records with the official scorer when multiple scorers are present.
Rationale: Allows the official scorer to remain focused on game activity and places the responsibility of comparing scoring and other bookkeeping information on the auxiliary scorer(s).

3-3-6: Requires a player who has been injured to be removed from the game if the coach is beckoned by the official, whether the coach enters the playing area or not, or if bench personnel (i.e., a coach or athletic trainer) enters the court without being beckoned. The coach may still use a time-out to continue assessment of the injury and keep the injured player in the game.
Rationale: Creates consistency for officials that an injured player is subject to removal from the game when an injury occurs, and the coach/team personnel are beckoned or if they enter the court without an official beckoning.

3-3-7: Allows 20 seconds for a player to address any minor blood on the body or uniform without leaving the game. If the blood cannot be appropriately covered/cleaned within 20 seconds, the head coach may take a time-out to address the issue or substitute for the player.
Rationale: Provides a short interval of time to handle a blood related issue without delaying the game, while still addressing the health-related concerns associated with blood on a player.

3-4-4a (NEW): Allows the use of a school logo/mascot image to be centered directly above the uniform number in place of an identifying name.
Rationale: Removes the restriction of allowing only lettering on the front of the jersey.

4-6-1 EXCEPTION (NEW): Creates an exception to basket interference by allowing a player(s) to touch only the net while the ball is on or within the basket provided that the contact did not affect the ball.
Rationale: Allows play to continue unless the contact of the net affects the try for goal.

4-47-5 (NEW), 10-2-1g (NEW), 10-4-5b: Changes the penalty for failing to immediately pass the ball to the nearer official when a whistle sounds from a player technical to a warning for delay for the first violation and a team technical for any subsequent offense.
Rationale: Allows officials to issue a warning before assessing a technical and the technical will now be assessed to the team and not the player, lessening the severity of the penalty while addressing the behavior.

***FLOPPING RULE

4-49 (NEW), 10-2-1g (NEW), 10-4-6f: Changes the penalty for faking being fouled from a player technical to a warning for the first violation and a team technical for any subsequent offense and adds a definition and examples.
Rationale: Allows officials to issue a warning before assessing a technical and the technical will now be assessed to the team and not the player, lessening the severity of the penalty while addressing the behavior.

7-1-1: Establishes that a player is out of bounds if contact by a teammate or other bench personnel outside the boundary line provides an advantage, allowing the player to remain in bounds.
Rationale: Establishes that a player cannot be assisted from outside the boundary line by teammates or bench personnel to remain in-bounds.

9-10-1a NOTE (NEW), 4-10: Allows state associations to adopt a modification to the closely guarded rule if they have adopted the 35-second shot clock, allowing players to dribble the ball for more than five seconds while closely guarded and maintain that a player may not hold the ball for five or more seconds.
Rationale: Permits states utilizing the 35-second shot clock to allow players to dribble without enforcing the closely guarded rule since they have a 35-second time limit to attempt a try for goal, maintaining an appropriate pace of play.

10-1-1 PENALTY, 10-1-2 PENALTY, 10-2-7 PENALTY (NEW), 10-5-1 PENALTY(NEW): Establishes that all administrative, team and bench technical fouls that occur during pregame offset – no free throws are awarded – and the game will start with a jump ball and the head coach does not lose the privilege of the coaching box.
Rationale: Clarifies that an equal number of technical fouls committed by both teams during pregame offset and establishes how the game will start after offsetting technical fouls.

10-2-7 (NEW), 10-5-1i: Changes the penalty for dunking or attempting to dunk or stuff a dead ball from a bench technical to a team technical.
Rationale: Continues to penalize the offending team with a team technical foul (free-throws, offended team the ball to start the period, a foul added to the team count), but no longer requires the coach to lose the coaching box to start the game and no personal foul is awarded.

2024-25 Basketball Editorial Changes

1-13-2, 2-2-4 NOTE, 2-10-6, 3-3-1c NOTE, 3-3-7 NOTES 1, 3-4-2a, 3-5-1 NOTE, 3-5-7, 4-12-2 NOTE (NEW), 7-2-1, 7-3-2, 7-6-6, 8-5-3, 9-1 PENALTIES 1c, 9-2-10 NOTE 2 (NEW), 9-2 PENALTIES 1, 9-2 PENALTY, 9-7-1 NOTE (NEW), 9-9-3 NOTE (NEW), 10-4-3, 10-4-6h, 10-5, 10-5-3, Official Signals

2024-25 Basketball Points of Emphasis

Warning for Delay
Faking Being Fouled
Proper Procedures for Handling Blood