Common Basketball Violations and Fouls
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Like most organized sports, there are certain rules in basketball that players must follow. Failure to abide by these rules may result in forfeiture of ball ownership (e.g. the other player receives the ball), reset shot clock, foul shots, etc. Whether you're thinking about participating in basketball, or if you simply want to learn more about the sport, you should check out some of the most common violations listed below.
Ball Travels Out of Bounds – this violation occurs when the ball goes out of bounds, touches the boundary line, or touches a player who is out of bounds. In basketball, it's a violation for the ball to touch any part of the boundary line, which is in stark contrast to football where the ball remains in play if it's touching the line.
Traveling – another all-too-common violation in basketball is known as traveling. This occurs when the ball-handler steps forward (or backwards) three steps or more without dribbling the ball. Rules state that the ball-handler must continue dribbling the ball to prevent violations.
Double Dribbling – as the name suggests, double dribbling occurs when the ball-handler stops dribbling for a brief period of time and starts again. Double dribbling also includes instances when the ball-handler dribbles using both hands simultaneously.
Carrying The Ball – this occurs when the ball-handler has a hand underneath the ball, essentially carrying it rather than dribbling it. Players must use caution when dribbling to avoid placing any part of their hand underneath the ball; otherwise, they could receive a violation for carrying the ball.
Kicking or Hitting The Ball – a lesser-known basketball violation occurs when a player either kicks the ball with his or her foot or strikes it with his or her fist. This violation results in forfeiture of ball ownership when performed by a player on offense or a shot clock reset when performed by a player on defense.
Foul – the single most common violation in basketball is the foul. This occurs when a player uses physical force/content to gain an unfair advantage. Fouls are typically committed by defensive players, but refs may call them on offensive players as well. If an offensive player is fouled while attempting to shoot, he or she will receive three “free throws” from the foul line (worth one point each).
Technical Foul – a more serious violation in the sport of basketball is the technical foul. Technical fouls consist of poor sportsmanship, on-the-court fights, and arguing with a referee.
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