Personal fouls and free throws
The basketball rules covering illegal contact and the uncontested shots awarded when a player is fouled.
Overview
A personal foul is illegal physical contact such as holding, pushing or hitting an opponent. When a player is fouled while shooting, or when a team exceeds its allowed team fouls, the fouled player takes free throws — uncontested shots from the free-throw line.
Accumulating too many personal fouls disqualifies a player from the game. A technical foul, for unsporting conduct rather than contact, is penalised separately and can also lead to free throws.
Key points
- A shooting foul usually gives the fouled player free throws.
- Reaching a set number of personal fouls disqualifies a player.
- Team fouls over the limit put the opponents "in the bonus" for free throws.
- A technical foul penalises conduct rather than contact.
Where it’s used
Sports that use personal fouls and free throws:
Related rules
Traveling
A basketball violation for moving illegally with the ball without dribbling it.
Double dribble
A basketball violation for dribbling with two hands at once, or for dribbling again after picking up the ball.
Shot clock
A timing rule that requires the attacking basketball team to attempt a shot within a set number of seconds.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Personal fouls and free throws in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Frequently learned together
Taught side by side in the same stage of a learning path.
- TravelingBoth are taught in the “Get to know the game” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Double dribbleBoth are taught in the “Get to know the game” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Shot clockBoth are taught in the “Get to know the game” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Backcourt violationBoth are taught in the “Get to know the game” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- GoaltendingBoth are taught in the “Get to know the game” stage of the Basketball learning path.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Personal fouls and free throws to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Officiating
- RefereeThe primary on-field official who enforces the rules, controls play, penalises fouls, awards restarts, and blows the whistle to start and stop a match.
- ScorekeeperThe official who keeps the authoritative record of a contest — score, fouls, and statistics — usually seated at a scorer's table beside the timekeeper.
- Foul callA foul call is an official's ruling that a player broke a rule of contact or conduct, triggering a penalty such as a free kick, free throw or penalty.
- Penalty SignalA standardized hand or flag signal an official uses to announce a foul, penalty, or restart so players, teammates, and spectators can read the call.
- AdvantageIn many sports, officials let play continue after a foul when stopping would help the offender, so the fouled team keeps the advantage it has gained.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Rule
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-12
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