Rule 5-1

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RULE 5 - SECTION 1
GOAL

ART. 1 . . . A goal is made when a live ball enters the basket from above and remains in or passes through. No goal is scored if an untouched throw-in goes through the basket.

ART. 2 . . . Whether the clock is running or stopped has no influence on the counting of a goal. If a player-control foul occurs before or after a goal, the goal is canceled.

 

 

Rule 5-2

RULE 5 - SECTION 2
SCORING

ART. 1 . . . A successful try, tap or thrown ball from the field by a player who is located behind the team’s own 19-foot, 9-inch arc counts three points. A ball that touches the floor, a teammate inside the arc, an official, or any other goal from the field counts two points for the team into whose basket the ball is thrown. See 4-5-4.

ART. 2 . . . A goal from a free throw counts one point for the free thrower’s team and is credited to the free thrower. See 4-5-4.

ART. 3 . . . If a player scores a field goal in the opponent’s basket, it is not credited to a player, but is indicated in a footnote. See 4-5-4.

ART. 4 . . . The only infractions for which points are awarded are goaltending by the defense or basket interference at the opponent’s basket.

ART. 5 . . . When play is resumed with a throw-in or free throw and three tenths (.3) of a second or less remains on the clock, a player may not gain control of the ball and try for a field goal. In this situation only a tap could score. NOTE: This rule does not apply if the clock does not display tenths of a second.

 

 

Rule 5-3

RULE 5 - SECTION 3
WINNING TEAM

The winning team is the one which has accumulated the greater number of points when the game ends as in 2-2-4.

 

 

Rule 5-4

RULE 5 - SECTION 4
FORFEITURE, PROTEST, INTERRUPTED GAME

ART. 1 . . . The referee must forfeit the game if a team refuses to play after being instructed to do so by any official. The referee may also forfeit a game if any player, team member, bench personnel or coach fails to comply with any technical-foul penalty, or repeatedly commits technical-foul infractions or other acts which make a travesty of the game. If the team to which the game is forfeited is ahead, the score at the time of forfeiture must stand. If this team is not ahead, the score must be recorded as 2-0 in its favor.

ART. 2 . . . The NFHS Basketball Rules Committee does not recognize protests.

ART. 3 . . . Whenever a game is interrupted because of events beyond the control of the responsible administrative authorities, it must be continued from the point of interruption unless the teams agree to terminate the game with the existing score, or there are conference, league or state association rules to cover the situation.

Rule 5-5

RULE 5 - SECTION 5
LENGTH OF QUARTER

ART. 1 . . . Playing time for teams of high school age must be four quarters of eight minutes each with intermissions of one minute after the first and third quarters, and 10 minutes between halves. The halftime intermission may be extended to a maximum of 15 minutes for special activities, provided home management has properly notified the visiting team prior to the start of the game.

ART. 2 . . . Games involving only students below the ninth grade must be played in six-minute quarters with intermissions as in Article 1. An organization sponsoring games involving teams which combine ninth-grade students with students in the eighth and/or seventh grades, may play those games in quarters of eight minutes.

ART. 3 . . . A quarter(s) may be shortened in an emergency or at any time by mutual agreement of the opposing coaches and the referee. Playing time and number of quarters for non-varsity game quarters may be reduced by mutual agreement of opposing coaches.

NOTE: A state association by adoption may institute a running clock when a specified point differential is reached at a specified time in the game.

 

 

Rule 5-6

RULE 5 - SECTION 6
BEGINNING, ENDING A QUARTER OR EXTRA PERIOD

ART. 1 . . . Each quarter or extra period begins when the ball first becomes live.

ART. 2 . . . Each quarter or extra period ends when the signal illuminates or sounds indicating time has expired, as in 1-14.

EXCEPTIONS:

1. If the ball is in flight during a try or tap for field goal, the quarter or extra period ends when the try or tap ends.

2. If a held ball or violation occurs so near the expiration of time that the clock is not stopped before time expires, the quarter or extra period ends with the held ball or violation.

3. If a foul occurs so near the expiration of time that the timer cannot get the clock stopped before time expires or after time expires, but while the ball is in flight during a try or tap for field goal, the quarter or extra period ends when the free throw(s) and all related activity have been completed. No penalty or part of a penalty carries over from one quarter or extra period to the next, except when a correctable error, as in 2-10, is rectified. No free throw(s) must be attempted after time has expired for the fourth quarter or any extra period, unless the point(s) would affect the outcome of the game.

4. If a technical foul occurs after the ball has become dead to end a quarter or extra period, the next quarter or extra period is started by administering the free throws. This applies when the foul occurs after any quarter has ended, including the fourth quarter, provided there is to be an extra period. If there is no way to determine whether there will be an extra period until the free throws are administered, the free throws are attempted immediately, as if the foul had been part of the preceding quarter.

 

 

Rule 5-7

RULE 5 - SECTION 7
EXTRA PERIOD

ART. 1 . . . If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, play must continue without change of baskets for one or more extra periods with a one-minute intermission before each extra period.

ART. 2 . . . The game ends if, at the end of any extra period, the score is not tied.

ART. 3 . . . The length of each extra period must be four minutes (or half the time of a regulation quarter for non-varsity contests). As many such periods as are necessary to break the tie must be played. Extra periods are an extension of the fourth quarter.

ART. 4 . . . Once the ball becomes live in the extra period, it will be played even though a correction in the fourth quarter score is made.

 

 

Rule 5-8

RULE 5 - SECTION 8
TIME-OUT, STOPPING PLAY

Time-out occurs and the clock, if running, must be stopped when an official:
ART. 1 . . . Signals:

a. A foul.
b. A held ball.
c. A violation.
d. A time-out.

ART. 2 . . . Stops play:

a. Because of an injury as in 3-3-6, 7.
b. To confer with the scorer or timer.
c. Because of unusual delay in getting a dead ball live.
d. For any other situations or any emergency.

NOTE: When a player is injured as in Art. 2(a), the official may suspend play after the ball is dead or is in control of the injured player’s team or when the opponents complete a play. A play is completed when a team loses control (including throwing for goal) or withholds the ball from play by ceasing to attempt to score or advance the ball to a scoring position. When necessary to protect an injured player, the official may immediately stop play.

ART. 3 . . . Grants and signals a player’s/head coach’s oral or visual request for a time-out, such request being granted only when:

a. The ball is at the disposal or in control of a player of his/her team.
b. The ball is dead, unless replacement of a disqualified, or injured player(s), or a player directed to leave the game is pending, and a substitute(s) is available and required.

ART. 4 . . . Responds to the scorer’s signal to grant a coach’s request that a correctable error, as in 2-10, or a timing, scoring or alternating-possession mistake be prevented or rectified. The appeal to the official must be presented at the scorer’s table where a coach of each team may be present.

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Rule 5-9

RULE 5 - SECTION 9
RE-STARTING THE CLOCK

ART. 1 . . . After time has been out, the clock must be started when the official signals the clock to start. If the official neglects to signal, the timer is authorized to start the clock as per rule, unless an official specifically signals continued time-out.

ART. 2 . . . If play is started or resumed by a jump ball, the clock must be started when the tossed ball is legally touched.

ART. 3 . . . If a free throw is not successful and the ball is to remain live, the clock must be started when the ball touches or is touched by a player on the court.

ART. 4 . . . If play is resumed by a throw-in, the clock must be started when the ball touches, or is legally touched by, a player on the court after it is released by the thrower.

 

 

Rule 5-10

RULE 5 - SECTION 10
TIMING MISTAKES

ART. 1 . . . The referee may correct an obvious mistake by the timer to start or stop the clock properly only when he/she has definite information relative to the time involved. The exact time observed by the official may be placed on the clock.

ART. 2 . . . If the referee determines that the clock malfunctioned or was not started/stopped properly, or if the clock did not run, an official’s count or other official information may be used to make a correction.

 

 

Rule 5-11

RULE 5 - SECTION 11
CHARGED TIME-OUTS

ART. 1 . . . Three 60-second and two 30-second time-outs may be charged to each team during a regulation game. Each team is entitled to one additional 60-second time-out during each extra period. Unused time-outs accumulate and may be used at any time.

NOTE: State associations may determine the number of electronic media time-outs for games which are transmitted and may reduce the number of charged time-outs.

ART. 2 . . . A single 60-second time-out charged to a team must not exceed one minute and must be conducted within the confines of the time-out area. A warning signal for the teams to prepare to resume play is sounded with 15 seconds remaining. Such a time-out must not be reduced in length unless both teams are ready to play before the time-out is over.

ART. 3 . . . A single 30-second charged time-out must not exceed 30 seconds and players must remain standing within the time-out area. A warning signal for teams to prepare to resume play is sounded with 15 seconds remaining. No on-court entertainment should occur during this time.

ART. 4 . . . Only one 60-second time-out is charged (or one 30-second time-out, if that is the only type of time-out remaining) in 5-8-4 regardless of the amount of time consumed when no correction is made.

EXCEPTION: No time-out is charged:

a. If, in 5-8-3, the player’s request results from displaced eyeglasses or lens.
b. If, in 5-8-4, the error or mistake is prevented or rectified.

ART. 5. . . A time-out must not be granted until after the ball has become live to start the game. The additional 60-second time-out provided for each extra period(s) must not be granted until after the ball has become live to start the extra period(s).

ART. 6 . . . Time-outs in excess of the allotted number may be requested and must be granted during regulation playing time or any extra period at the expense of a technical foul for each, as in 10-2-3.

ART. 7 . . . Successive time-outs, as in 4-43-2, must not be granted after the expiration of playing time for the fourth quarter or any extra period. In all other instances, they must be administered in the order in which they were requested.

ART. 8 . . . Time-outs simultaneously requested by opposing teams or those requested to keep players in the game that were directed to leave for injury/blood, as in 3-3-6 and 3-3-7 Notes, must be granted, charged to the respective team and administered concurrently. When one team is charged with a 30-second time-out and the other a 60-second time-out, the duration must be 60 seconds.