# Law 13: How the Ball Is Played (FIBA Official Basketball Rules)

Basketball · Law 13: How the Ball Is Played · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/basketball/laws/law-13-how-the-ball-is-played/)

Playing the ball with the hands, what may not be done with legs and fists, and the penalty.

## 13.131 Playing the Ball with the Hands

The legal ways of playing the ball, and what the rule forbids.

### Test 1: Hands, directions and legal ways to play

- During the game the ball is played with the hand(s) only. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.1)
- The ball may be passed, thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled in any direction, within the rules. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.1)
- Tapping is one of the ways the ball may be played. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.1)
- A player shall not run with the ball, deliberately play it with the leg or strike it with the fist. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)
- An infraction of Article 13.2 is a violation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)
- The opponents get a throw-in from the place nearest the infraction, except directly behind the backboard. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.3)
- Rolling the ball is one of the ways it may be played. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.1)
- Rolling, tapping, catching and dribbling are all legal ways of playing the ball. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.1)
- Catching, dribbling and passing are all played with the hands. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.1)
- Striking the ball with the fist is a violation; rolling, tapping with an open hand and passing are legal. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)

## 13.132 Legs, Fists and the Penalty

Deliberate and accidental contact with the leg, the fist, and the throw-in that follows.

### Test 1: Kicks, fists and accidents

- Deliberately kicking the ball is a violation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)
- Deliberately touching, kicking or blocking the ball with any part of the leg is not allowed. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)
- Striking the ball with the fist is a violation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)
- The usual place: nearest to where the kick happened, but never directly behind the backboard. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.3)
- The ball is awarded to the opponents of the player who committed the violation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.3)
- A foot is part of the leg, so stopping the ball with it on purpose is the same violation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)
- It is a referee's judgement whether the ball touched the leg by accident or on purpose. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)
- A kicked ball hands the opponents a throw-in near the spot. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2, 13.3)
- Accidental contact with the leg is not a violation. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)
- Only accidental contact with the leg is allowed; deliberate blocks, kicks and traps are violations. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 13.2)

Sources: FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026 (v1.1), Article 13 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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