In basketball, a technical foul is every violation of the rule proclaimed as a foul and penalized accordingly. The most common reason for declaring a technical foul is unsportsmanlike behavior. It can be called against players, the entire team, bench personnel, and even the crowd.
According to the official NBA rulebook, a technical foul shall be called for:
- Excessive timeouts
- Delay of game
- Wrong number of players
- Unsportsmanlike behavior regarding the basket ring, backboard, or support
Excessive Timeouts
A call for an excessive timeout in addition to the authorized number of timeouts will be granted, immediately followed by a technical foul. The opponent will attempt a free throw, and afterward, the game resumes with the ball in the opposing team’s possession.
Delay of Game
A technical foul will be assessed in regards to the delaying of the game if:
- A player prevents the ball from being properly put in the game,
- Any interference with the ball by players and coaches when not authorized,
- A player enters the court with an untucked shirt,
- Other unsportsmanlike conduct in regards to the game, officials, or ball.
Wrong Number of Players
If the game begins with one team having the wrong number of players on the basketball court, they will be penalized. A wrong number is any number greater or lesser than 5.
Basket Ring, Net, Backboard, Support
A technical foul will be assessed to:
- An offensive player who intentionally hangs on their basket ring, net, backboard, or support,
- A defensive player who intentionally hangs on the opponent’s basket ring, net, backboard, or support if they come in contact with the ball.
The exception to the rule is that a player can intentionally hang off the ring if doing so will help prevent an injury.
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