# Law 38: Flagrant Foul (FIBA Official Basketball Rules)

Basketball · Law 38: Flagrant Foul · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/basketball/laws/law-38-flagrant-foul/)

The three criteria of a flagrant foul, its free throws and throw-in, and the disqualification it can bring.

## 38.381 What a Flagrant Foul Is

Beyond a personal or disruptive foul: the three criteria.

### Test 1: The criteria of a flagrant foul

- A flagrant foul violates the spirit of fair play and by nature or severity exceeds a personal or disruptive foul. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.1.1)
- A reckless, violent or dangerous act that causes or may cause injury is a flagrant criterion. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.1.1)
- Excessive, hard contact in an effort to play the ball or an opponent is a flagrant criterion. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.1.1)
- Not a legitimate basketball play against an opponent, with or without the ball, is a flagrant criterion. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.1.1)
- Risking injury is enough; harm need not follow. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.1.1)
- Flagrant fouls must be interpreted consistently throughout the game, judging only the action. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.1.2)
- Stopping a break with unnecessary contact is a disruptive criterion, not a flagrant one. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 37.1.1, 38.1.1)
- A violent act that can injure is flagrant: free throws, then the throw-in. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38)
- A disruptive foul exceeds a personal one; a flagrant foul exceeds both. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 37.1.1, 38.1.1)
- An elbow swung into the head is violent and may injure; the others are personal fouls. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.1.1)

## 38.382 The Penalty and Disqualification

Free throws, the restart and the road to a game disqualification.

### Test 1: Free throws, restart and disqualification

- A flagrant foul is charged against the offender and counts as one of the team fouls. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2.1)
- The flagrant penalty sets its own free throws, whatever the team-foul count. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2.2)
- At the start of the first quarter the free throws are followed by the jump ball in the centre circle. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2.2)
- Two flagrant fouls bring a game disqualification. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2.3)
- That flagrant foul is the only foul penalised; nothing extra is given for the disqualification. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2.4)
- The routes to disqualification count category 1 technicals and flagrant fouls; category 2 is left out. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 36.2.1, 38.2.3)
- A made goal stands and 1 free throw is added, then the frontcourt throw-in. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2.2)
- Missed 2-pointer: 2 free throws, then the frontcourt throw-in. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2)
- Two flagrants disqualify; that flagrant's own penalty is all that is given. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2.3, 38.2.4)
- A5 was not shooting: 2 free throws, then Team A throws in from its frontcourt line. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 38.2.2)

Sources: FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026 (v1.1), Article 38 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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