How Many Fouls To Foul Out in the NBA?

The NBA has a foul limit rule to prevent players from fouling out of the game. Here’s a look at how many fouls you can commit before being disqualified.

Introduction

In the NBA, a player is allowed to commit six fouls in a game before fouling out. If a player committed five fouls in a game, he would be allowed to stay in the game and would not be automatically disqualified.

The Rule

In the NBA, a player fouled while shooting receives three free throws if the shot does not go in. If the shot does go in, then he receives two free throws. A player who is fouled while not shooting receives two free throws if the team fouled is in the penalty, and one free throw if it is not.

The Exception

In the NBA, a player is allowed six fouls before fouling out. However, there is one exception to this rule. If a player fouls out of the game while shooting a free throw, the player is allowed to remain in the game and shoot the remainder of his free throws.

The Loophole

In the NBA, there is a little-known loophole that allows players to commit up to six fouls in a game without fouling out. Here’s how it works: If a player commits his sixth foul with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter or in any overtime period, he is not automatically disqualified from the game. Instead, his team is allowed to keep him in and is given a “foul shot” for each subsequent foul he commits.

The Statistic

The number of personal fouls a player can commit before being disqualified from a game has varied throughout the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

From 1949 to 1951, players could commit six fouls before fouling out of a game. The rule was changed in 1951 to allow players to commit seven fouls before fouling out. From 1957 to 1968, the number of fouls a player could commit increased to eight.

In 1968, the NBA implemented a “bonus” rule, which awarded opposing teams a free-throw attempt on the eighth team foul in each quarter. As a result of this rule change, players were now able to commit nine fouls before fouling out.

The “bonus” free-throw rule was short-lived; it was rescinded prior to the 1971-1972 season. As a result, the number of fouls a player could commit reverted back to eight.

In 1979, another Rule change increased the amount of fouls a player could commit before being disqualified from nine to ten. This Rule change remained in effect until the 1983-1984 season when it was reverted back to nine personal fouls.

The current Rule regarding disqualification due to personal fouls is as follows: If a player accumulates five personal fouls in one game, he is said to have “fouled out” and is not allowed to play for the remainder of that game.

The Conclusion

In the end, the number of fouls you can commit in an NBA game before fouling out depends on the refereeing. Some referees are stricter than others when it comes to calling fouls, so it is hard to say definitively how many you can get away with. However, if you are committing a lot of fouls, it is likely that you will eventually be called for a sixth and be disqualified from the game. So, while there is no set number, it is important to try to avoid fouling as much as possible to stay in the game and give yourself and your team a chance to win.