40.1Definition

Fighting is physical interaction between 2 or more opponent players and any person permitted to sit on the team benches. This article only applies to the substitutes, head coaches, first assistant coaches, excluded players and accompanying delegation members who leave the confines of the team bench area during a fight or during any situation which may lead to a fight.

40.2Rule

40.2.1

Substitutes, excluded players or accompanying delegation members who leave the team bench area during a fight, or during any situation which may lead to a fight, shall be disqualified.

40.2.2

Only a head coach and/or first assistant coach are permitted to leave the team bench area during a fight, or during any situation which may lead to a fight, to assist the referees to maintain or to restore order. In this situation, they shall not be disqualified.

40.2.3

If a head coach and/or first assistant coach leave the team bench area and neither assist nor attempt to assist the referees to maintain or to restore order, they shall be disqualified.

40.3Penalty

40.3.1

Irrespective of the number of persons disqualified for leaving the team bench area, a single technical foul (‘B’) shall be charged against the head coach.

40.3.2

If persons of both teams are disqualified under this article and there are no other foul penalties remaining for administration, the game shall be resumed as follows. If at approximately the same time when the game was stopped because of the fighting:

  • A valid goal or a last free throw is scored, the ball shall be awarded to the nonscoring team for a throw-in from any place behind that team’s endline.
  • A team had control of the ball or was entitled to the ball, the ball shall be awarded to that team for a throw-in from the place nearest to where the ball was located when the fight has started.
  • Neither team had control of the ball nor was entitled to the ball, a jump ball situation occurs.

40.3.3

All disqualifying fouls shall be entered on the scoresheet as described in Appendix

B.8.6

and shall not count as team fouls.

40.3.4

All possible foul penalties against players on the court involved in a fight or any situation which leads to a fight, shall be dealt with in accordance with Article 43.

40.3.5

All possible disqualification foul penalties against first assistant coach, substitute, excluded player or an accompanying delegation member involved actively in a fight or any situation which leads to a fight, shall be penalised in accordance with Article 39.3.4, sixth bullet.