While the NFL's overtime rules differ depending on whether the game is taking place during the regular season or playoffs, the NBA functions differently. The NBA's overtime rules are a bit more complicated than the NFL's. Even diehard fans might be unsure of certain details.
As a refresher, we've compiled everything you need to know about the NBA's overtime rules.
What are the NBA's current overtime rules?
The following overtime rules come directly from the NBA's official rulebook:
If the score is tied at the end of the fourth period, play shall resume after a 2:30 break without change of baskets for any of the overtime periods required. The teams change baskets for the second half [and] all overtime periods are considered extensions of the second half.
Overtimes shall be started with a jump ball in the center circle.
All overtime periods will be five minutes. The timing devices shall be stopped during the last two minutes of overtime(s) following a successful field goal attempt.
In overtime periods, each team shall be allowed two team timeouts.
The first three common fouls committed by a team in any overtime period shall result in the ball being awarded to the opposing team on the sideline nearest where play was interrupted. The ball shall be awarded no nearer to the baseline than the free throw line extended. During any overtime period, common fouls charged as team fouls in excess of three will be penalized by one free throw plus a penalty free-throw attempt. (While the number of team fouls reset, each player's personal fouls carry over from regulation.)
If a team has not committed its quota of three team fouls during the first three minutes of any overtime period, it shall be permitted to incur one team foul during the last two minutes without penalty.
During the last two minutes of any overtime period, the ball may be passed anywhere (frontcourt or backcourt) on the court (during inbound plays). However, if the ball is thrown into the frontcourt and an offensive player on the court fails to control the ball and causes it to go into the backcourt, his team may not be the first to touch the ball.
A team may utilize a Coach's Challenge to trigger instant replay review of only the following three events: (1) a called personal foul charged to its own team, (2) a called out-of-bounds violation, or (3) a called goaltending or basket interference violation; provided that, in the last two minutes of any overtime, a team is no longer able to utilize a Challenge to trigger instant-replay review of a called goaltending or basket interference violation, as review of these events during these periods will be exclusively triggered by the on-court game officials. NOTE: A Coach's Challenge is the only mechanism to trigger replay review of out-of-bounds violations at any point during the game.
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