# Law 12: Jump Ball and Alternating Possession (FIBA Official Basketball Rules)

Basketball · Law 12: Jump Ball and Alternating Possession · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/basketball/laws/law-12-jump-ball-and-alternating-possession/)

The jump ball and the held ball, how a jump ball is taken and its violations, the jump ball situations, and the alternating possession arrow.

## 12.121 The Jump Ball

Jump ball and held ball, the procedure, its violations and the penalty.

### Test 1: Jump ball and held ball

- A jump ball occurs when a referee tosses the ball between any 2 opponents. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.1.1)
- A held ball occurs when opposing players have hands firmly on the ball so that neither can gain control without undue roughness. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.1.2)
- Team-mates may not occupy adjacent positions if an opponent wishes to occupy one of them. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.2)
- The ball is tossed vertically upwards between the 2 opponents, higher than either can reach by jumping. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.3)
- The ball must be tapped after it has started its downward flight. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.4)
- Neither jumper may catch the ball or tap it more than twice until it has touched a non-jumper or the court. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.6)
- If the ball is not tapped by at least one of the jumpers, the jump ball is repeated. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.7)
- The tap is legal only once the ball is on its way down. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2)
- The jumpers stand inside the circle; the others stay off and outside the line until the tap. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.1, 12.2.8)
- Each jumper stands with both feet inside the half of the circle nearer his own basket, one foot close to the centre line. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.1)

### Test 2: Jump ball violations

- Catching the ball is a jump ball violation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.6)
- The tap must come after the ball has started down; an earlier tap is a violation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.4)
- Neither jumper may leave his position until the ball has been legally tapped. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.5)
- The ball goes to the opponents for a throw-in from the place nearest the infraction. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.3)
- The throw-in is from the place nearest the infraction, except directly behind the backboard. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.3)
- The violations listed are 12.2.1, 12.2.4, 12.2.5, 12.2.6 and 12.2.8; the rule on adjacent places (12.2.2) is not among them. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2)
- A foot in the far half of the circle breaks the jumper's positioning rule. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.1)
- An early tap is penalised with a throw-in for the opponents. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2, 12.3)
- Jumpers must hold their places until the ball has been legally tapped. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2)
- No part of a non-jumper's body may be on or over the circle line before the tap; C is standing on it. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.2.8)

## 12.122 Alternating Possession

The jump ball situations, and the arrow that settles them.

### Test 1: Jump ball situations

- A held ball is one of the jump ball situations. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4)
- When the referees are in doubt or disagree on who last touched the ball, it is a jump ball situation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4)
- A ball lodging between the ring and the backboard between free throws is excepted from the jump ball situations. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4)
- All quarters other than the first and all overtimes start as a jump ball situation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4)
- After the cancellation of equal penalties, with no other penalties and no team in control or entitled, it is a jump ball situation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4)
- No team in control and none entitled: the arrow decides. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4)
- A shot clock violation gives the ball to the opponents; the other three are jump ball situations. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4, 29)
- Jump ball situations are settled by alternating possession. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4, 12.6)
- A held ball is settled by the arrow, which is turned once the throw-in ends. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.1.2, 12.6)
- A live ball lodging between the ring and the backboard is a jump ball situation, settled by alternating possession. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.4)

### Test 2: The alternating possession arrow

- Alternating possession makes the ball live with a throw-in rather than a jump ball. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.5)
- The team that does not gain the first team control of a live ball after the jump ball gets the first throw-in. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6.2)
- It is taken from the place nearest where the jump ball situation occurs, except directly behind the backboard. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6.1)
- It starts the next quarter or overtime with a throw-in from the centre line extended, opposite the scorer's table. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6.3)
- The arrow is reversed immediately when the alternating possession throw-in ends. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6.4)
- The violating team loses the throw-in, the arrow is reversed at once, and the opponents throw in from the same place. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6.5)
- A foul by either team during the throw-in does not cause the entitled team to lose that alternating possession. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6.6)
- The arrow turns the moment the throw-in ends. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6)
- The team that does not gain first control gets the first alternating possession. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6.2)
- The arrow points towards the opponents' basket of the team entitled to the throw-in: the left basket, which the white caps attack. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 12.6.4)

Sources: FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026 (v1.1), Article 12 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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