When basketball kicks off at the 2024 Paris Olympics, fans will be reminded that FIBA basketball is different from NBA basketball.
The goals are 10 feet high and the objective of the game remains the same, but there are crucial differences in the rules of international basketball and the way it is typically played in North America. For those reasons, it is often a change for NBA players with little FIBA experience.
With basketball set to shine as one of the most prominent sports at the Olympics over the next few weeks, let’s take a closer look at the biggest differences between the rules of FIBA and NBA basketball.
Olympic basketball rules explained
Game duration
In FIBA, games consist of four 10-minute quarters. NBA games consist of four 12-minute quarters. As in the NBA, games have 24-second shot clocks and are reset to 14 seconds after offensive rebounds.
Timeouts
In the FIBA system, teams are allowed two timeouts in the first half and three timeouts in the second half (but only two timeouts in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter). Teams are allowed one timeout per overtime period.
All timeouts last 60 seconds and never extend.
Faults
At the Olympics, players are disqualified after committing five personal fouls. Technical fouls also count toward a player’s foul count.
Players can also be penalized for an unsportsmanlike foul, which is called in a variety of circumstances. Unsportsmanlike fouls are used to describe what NBA fans know as transition fouls, free-throw fouls, and flagrant fouls.
In FIBA, all such fouls fall under the concept of unsportsmanlike conduct.
A player may be disqualified for two technical fouls, two unsportsmanlike fouls, or a combination of five fouls that include a flagrant foul or an unsportsmanlike foul.
Goal
As in the NBA, players cannot block a ball on its way down toward the hoop.
A unique feature of the international game is that players can make a play on the ball (hit or touch it) once the ball touches the rim.
Dimensions of the court
The FIBA basketball court is slightly smaller than the NBA court, so some of the lines on the floor measure differently.
| NBA | FIBA | |
| Length of the court | 94 feet | 91.86 feet |
| Width of the court | 50 feet | 49.21 feet |
| 3 point line distance | 23.75 feet | 22.15 feet |
| Distance from the 3-point line in the corner | 22 feet | 21.65 feet |
