# Law 9: Start and End of a Quarter, Overtime or the Game (FIBA Official Basketball Rules)

Basketball · Law 9: Start and End of a Quarter, Overtime or the Game · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/basketball/laws/law-9-start-and-end-of-a-quarter-overtime-or-the-game/)

Five players ready, the home team's bench and warm-up half, exchanging baskets, and the moments a quarter, an overtime and the game start and end.

## 9.91 Starting the Game and the Benches

Five players ready, the home bench on the left, and baskets for each half.

### Test 1: Five ready, benches and baskets

- The game cannot start if one or both teams are not on the court with 5 players ready to play. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.3)
- The first team named in the schedule is the home team for this rule. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.4)
- If both teams agree, they may exchange the team benches and/or warm-up half-courts for the first half. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.4)
- Either or both: the benches and the warm-up halves. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.4)
- Teams exchange their warm-up half-courts and baskets for the second half. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.5)
- The rule exchanges half-courts and baskets for the second half; the benches stay where they are. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.5)
- Baskets are exchanged for the second half, so the 1st and 2nd quarters are played the same way round. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.5)
- With 5 ready on each side, the 1st quarter starts as the ball leaves the crew chief's hands on the toss. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.1, 9.3, 9.4)
- Baskets change for the second half and stay the same into every overtime. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.5, 9.6)
- The first-named team has its bench and warm-up half on the left of the scorer's table, facing the court from it. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.4)

## 9.92 When Periods Start and End

The toss, the throw-in that starts later periods, and the signal or red lights at the end.

### Test 1: Start and end of a period

- The toss itself, not the tap, starts the 1st quarter. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.1)
- All other quarters and overtimes start when the ball is at the disposal of the thrower-in. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.2)
- The toss for the jump ball in the centre circle is the crew chief's. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.1)
- Every quarter after the 1st, and every overtime, starts when the ball is at the thrower-in's disposal. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.2)
- In all overtimes the teams continue towards the same baskets as in the fourth quarter. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.6)
- A quarter, overtime or the game ends when the game clock signal sounds for its end. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.7)
- Once that last signal has sounded, playing time is over. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.7)
- The end-of-quarter signal ends playing time and starts the interval. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 8.5, 9.7)
- The 2nd quarter starts the moment the thrower-in has the ball. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 8.3, 9.2)
- Where the backboard has red perimeter lighting, the lighting takes precedence over the clock's sound signal. (Source: FIBA OBR 2026, Art. 9.7)

Sources: FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026 (v1.1), Article 9 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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