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

BY NFHS ON JUNE 28, 2023 (CHANGES FROM LAST SEASON)

2-1-3 NOTE (NEW): Requires the shot clock operator to sit at the scorer’s and timer’s table, if using a shot clock.

Rationale: Establishes the placement of the shot clock operator for those states utilizing the shot clock and the growing use of video boards that allow tablet control from anywhere in the gym.

3-4-5: Requires uniform bottoms on teammates to be like-colored while allowing different styles of uniform bottoms among teammates.

Rationale: Clarifies that teammates must all wear like-colored uniform bottoms but may wear multiple styles while aligning language with other NFHS rules codes.

3-5-6: Allows undershirts worn under visiting team jerseys to be black or a single solid color similar to the torso of the jersey. All teammates wearing undershirts must wear the same solid color.

Rationale: Allows schools with hard-to-find colors to wear black under visiting team jerseys while continuing to require all team members to match.

4-8-1: Eliminates the one-and-one for common fouls beginning with the seventh team foul in the half and establishes the bonus as two free throws awarded for a common foul beginning with the team’s fifth foul in each quarter and resets the fouls at the end of each quarter.

Rationale: Improves flow by providing an opportunity for teams to adjust their play by not carrying over fouls from quarters 1 and 3 to quarters 2 and 4 while significantly reducing the opportunity for correctable errors to occur. Minimizes risk of injury by eliminating the one-and-one and reducing opportunities for rough play during rebounding opportunities.

7-5-2 thru 4: Establishes four throw-in spots (the nearest 28-foot mark along each sideline or the nearest spot 3-feet outside the lane line on the end line) when a team gains or retains possession in their frontcourt after the opponent commits a violation, a common foul prior to the bonus, or the ball becomes dead (i.e. inadvertent whistle or a held ball).

Rationale: Simplifies throw-in procedure when a team gains or retains possession for situations other than an out-of-bounds throw-in.

7-6-6: Allows the official administering a throw-in to the wrong team to correct the mistake before the first dead ball after the ball becomes live unless there is a change of possession.

Rationale: Allows for a correction of an official's mistake in a more reasonable timeframe.

9-3-3: Establishes that a player may step out of bounds without penalty unless they are the first player to touch the ball after returning to the court or if they left the court to avoid a violation.

Rationale: Allows a player to step out of bounds if they gain no advantage and penalizes a team only if they gain an advantage by leaving the court and returning to avoid a violation or to be the first to touch the ball.

2023-24 Basketball Editorial Changes

2-1-1, 4-3-2, 4-19-13, Shot Clock Guidelines

2023-24 Basketball Points of Emphasis

Uniforms, Equipment and Apparel
Bench Decorum
Throw-Ins – Proper Locations