<p class="reg-lead">A summary of the changes to the FIBA Official Basketball Rules, in force from 1 October 2026.</p>
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<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 October 2026</b> — published in July 2026, version 1.1</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>25 pages — prepared by FIBA Referee Operations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong></td></tr>
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<h2>What is this document?</h2>
<p>A document FIBA publishes alongside the full text of the rules to ease preparation for the changes. For each amended article it provides two things: the <strong>reason for the change</strong> and the <strong>new rulebook text</strong>. Articles covered: 1 Definitions, 2 Court, 4 Teams, 15 Player in the act of shooting, 24 Dribbling, 36 Technical foul, 37 Unsportsmanlike foul, 38 Disqualifying foul, and the appendices on officials' signals, the scoresheet, the classification of teams and the Instant Replay System.</p>
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<h2>Key points</h2>
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<li><b class="t">Primacy of the official text</b>The document itself states that the summary <strong>does not cover all minor and editorial changes</strong> and that, in the event of conflict, <strong>the final text of the Official Basketball Rules prevails</strong>. Legal citation must refer to the text of the rules, not to this summary.</li>
<li><b class="t">Value of the "reason for the change"</b>For each article, the reason for the change is set out expressly — something that does not appear in the rulebook itself and is of value in interpreting the rule-maker's intent.</li>
<li><b class="t">Publication timeline</b>The full text of the rules is published in July 2026 and the official interpretations in September 2026; the summary of changes becomes available before both.</li>
<li><b class="t">Restriction on use</b>The document states that its content must not be altered and must not be presented under the federation's mark without the written permission of FIBA Referee Operations.</li>
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<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For referees, coaches and instructors, the fastest way to see what changes from 1 October 2026. For a lawyer, the "reason for the change" sections can assist in interpreting the new articles — with the caveat that the document itself gives priority to the text of the rules.</p>
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Notes related to the tag change

FIBA Official Basketball Rules Changes 2026