New FIBA Official Basketball Rules to Be Implemented on October 1, 2026

Key changes in the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026 include:

- **Article 15 – Player in the Act of Shooting**: This article clarifies the definition of continuous movement and the location of the player when shooting.

- **Article 36 – Technical Foul**: It introduces two categories of technical fouls: those that count towards game disqualification and those that do not.

- **Articles 37 & 38 – Disruptive and Flagrant Fouls**: The unsportsmanlike foul is replaced with two new types: disruptive fouls, which do not count towards disqualification, and flagrant fouls, which do.

- **Appendix F – Instant Replay System & Head Coach’s Challenge**: This allows the Instant Replay System (IRS) to review goaltending or basket interference violations after a foul at any point during the game and to determine whether a foul occurred during a throw-in situation in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and during overtime.

To aid in the global implementation of these changes, FIBA has published several documents, including:

- Official Basketball Rules 2026 - v1.1

- Official Basketball Rules Interpretations 2026 - v1.0

- Official Basketball Rules 2026 Changes - v1.1 (available in French and Spanish)

- Official Basketball Rules 2026 - Basketball Equipment - v1.0

These documents, along with the complete list of FIBA regulations, can be found in the FIBA Document Library.

FIBA's Rules Advisory Group, composed of basketball and refereeing experts, evaluates all proposed rule changes before they are reviewed by the FIBA Technical Commission and ultimately approved by the FIBA Central Board. A webinar discussing the current rule updates is also available.