Rules for Basketball in the Olympics

The Olympic version of basketball adheres to the rules set forth by the International Basketball Federation, known as FIBA. While many of FIBA’s rules regarding the playing of the game are the same as they are at other levels, there are some obvious differences in the rules. These rules apply to the length of the game, measurements on the basketball court and other facets of the sport.

  1. Rules Involving Time

    • An Olympic basketball game consists of four 10-minute quarters. The halftime intermission lasts 15 minutes and if overtime is necessary, the extra period or periods are five minutes long. FIBA rules state that a team has 24 seconds to attempt a shot while on offense, which is the same as in the NBA. The offense has eight seconds to advance the ball from its side of the court to the opponent’s side. A defensive player can force a violation by closely guarding an opponent that holds onto the basketball for five seconds.

    Olympic Basketball Distances

    • In college and in the NBA, the basketball court is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. In the Olympic game, the court is 91 feet, 10 inches long and 49 feet, 2.5 inches wide. This is not the only distance distinction between the Olympic game and others. The Olympic three-point line, the mark on the court from which a made field goal is worth three points instead of two, is 20 feet, 6.1 inches from the basket. This is much shorter than the NBA line, which is 23 feet, 9 inches away, and longer than that of college basketball, which is at 19 feet, 9 inches. The size of the lane, the area under the basket that extends out to and beyond the free throw line, is also different on an Olympic court. It is 19 feet, 8.2 inches wide and 19.3 inches long.

    Other Olympic Rules

    • In Olympic basketball, the referee awards two fouls shots to a fouled player if the team committing the foul has more than four fouls in the period. This is true even if the player was not in the act of trying to score a basket. Players can commit five fouls before the rules disqualify them from further play in the contest. Only the head coach can call a timeout in an Olympic game.