We hope you're enjoying the FIBA World Cup. Truthfully, we all went too long without competitive basketball, and having it back via the FIBA World Cup is a great stop-gap as we wait for NBA and Euroleague seasons to get underway.
As you're watching, you're likely noticing some differences between the NBA and FIBA. And no, we're not talking about rushing to Google Arturs Zagars after he led Latvia to an upset victory that eliminated gold medal contenders France.
We're talking about the rule differences, and there are a number of them and they make a huge difference in the game.
NBA - FIBA rule differences:
FIBA game length:
The first major rule difference that you likely noticed right away is the length of the game. The NBA uses four, 12 minute quarters. FIBA uses 4, 10 minute quarters. Overtime is still five minutes, though.
FIBA foul rules:
The shorter game means less fouls, for players. In the NBA, six personal fouls leads to ejection but in FIBA the limit on personal fouls is five. Another rule difference on fouls is that a technical foul in FIBA counts as a personal foul.
Two technical fouls still lead to ejection, and there are still five team fouls allowed per quarter before a team enters the bonus and shoots free throws on every foul.
FIBA does not have flagrant fouls. Instead, they have unsportsmanlike fouls but they are essentially the same thing.
FIBA goaltending rule:
Goaltending is another major difference between FIBA and the NBA. We did a deeper dive on that here, but the simple breakdown is that in the NBA a shot cannot be interfered with once it's on a downward trajectory or above the cylinder.
FIBA has similar rules until the ball touches the rim. Once it touches the rim, it's fair game and can be knocked away.
FIBA has no defensive three seconds, either. This is one of the main reasons why Cape Verde's Edy Tavares is a dominant Euroleague player. He does not have to leave the paint on defense, ever.
FIBA 3-point line distance:
Lastly, the length of the 3-point shot is different. The NBA 3-pointer is 23-feet and 9-inches from the center of the basket, and in FIBA it is roughly 22 feet and 2 inches away from the center.
The FIBA corner 3-pointer is also closer, by about one foot.
Those are the main rule differences on paper in FIBA play compared to the NBA. There are others that are less written in stone, and are primarily tendencies in the game the way is officiated such as being less friendly towards foul baiting and gather steps.
So far through the tournament, Team USA seems to have handled these rule differences well. We'll see if that continues.
