Team Foul Basketball: What are ‘team fouls’ and ‘bonus’ in NBA, complete basketball foul concept explained

There are quite a few interested first-time viewers to the NBA playoffs in 2020. We wish to explain the concept of team fouls and bonus to them.

We already know that in the NBA, each quarter is 12 minutes in length. Teams have 7 timeouts to use through the regulation time of 48 minutes. In the event that scores are tied between the two teams at the end of 48, an overtime period of 5 minutes is activated. The overtime periods are played till a team emerges at the end of a period ahead of the other team on points.

Now, if it weren’t for rules discouraging fouls, teams would take undue advantage of such a loophole and offenses would go stagnant. Thus, the NBA has put certain rules in place for reining in fouls made by team per quarter:

Team fouls and Bonus explained

Fouls committed by players can be categorized primarily into two types: (i) shooting fouls; (ii) non-shooting fouls. Shooting fouls are awarded when the defending team impedes a shot attempt by fouling. Non-shooting fouls are awarded in other scenarios. Offensive fouls are included in this category.

Also Read: How long is halftime in NBA? Quarter-breaks and Timeout lengths explained too

If a team exceeds 4 fouls in a single quarter, it is said to have entered the penalty. The other team is said to be in the bonus, and it gets free throws irrespective of whether the foul committed on their player is a shooting foul or a non-shooting foul. Quite often, this becomes the difference between a win and a loss.

The Lakers against the Blazers, for example, entered the bonus with 3 or more remaining in 3 quarters out of 4 yesterday. This gave them a huge advantage in free throw attempts, and ultimately, despite missing 15 free throws, the Lakers won by 8 points.