4-8-1: Free Throw Rule Change

Starting in the 2023-2024 season, men's and women's high school basketball teams will shoot two free throws on non-shooting fouls when in the "bonus," eliminating one-and-one shots for common fouls. Additionally, team foul limits are now set by each quarter for awarding bonus free throws. Here's an outline of the new high school basketball free throw rules. For more information on the rule change, please read the new free throw procedures article on the official NFHS website.

What Are The Changes?

2 free throws are awarded for non-shooting fouls (eliminates one-and-one foul shots).
Team fouls set by quarter instead of by the half.
Teams reach the bonus when the opponent commits 5 fouls in each quarter (replaces 1-and-1 bonus after 7 fouls per half & 2 free throws after 10 fouls per half).
Team fouls reset at the end of each quarter.
Shop the Mark V Basketball Scorebook with fouls by quarter tracking.

Rule Change Rationale

Eliminating 1-and-1 foul shots reduces injury potential by decreasing the amount of "box-out" collisions during free throw rebounds.
Resetting the fouls each quarter improves game flow.
Fouls by quarter allow teams to adjust their play by not carrying foul totals to quarters two and four.

OTHER RULE CHANGES

Rule 2-1-3: If using a shot clock, the shot clock operator must be seated at the scorer’s and timer’s table.
Rationale: Establishes the placement of the shot clock operator for those states utilizing the shot clock and the growing use of video boards that allow tablet control from anywhere in the gym.

Rule 3-4-5: Teammates may wear multiple styles of uniform bottoms (i.e., skirt, shorts, pants), but they must be like-colored.
Rationale: Clarifies that teammates must all wear like-colored uniform bottoms but may wear multiple styles while aligning language with other NFHS rules codes.

Rule 3-5-6: Undershirts worn under visiting team jerseys may be black or a single solid color similar to the torso of the jersey. All teammates wearing undershirts must wear the same solid color.
Rationale: Allows schools with hard-to-find colors to wear black under visiting team jerseys while continuing to require all team members to match.

Rule 7-5-2 thru 4: When a team is retaining or gaining team control in its frontcourt due to a violation, a common foul prior to the bonus, or other stoppages in play other than out of bounds, the ball will be inbound-ed from one of four designated throw-in spots (the nearest 28-foot mark along each sideline or the nearest spot 3 feet outside the lane line on the end line).
Rationale: Simplifies throw-in procedure when a team gains or retains possession for situations other than an out-of-bounds throw-in.

Rule 7-6-6: When an official administers a throw-in to the wrong team, the mistake can be corrected before the first dead ball after the ball becomes live unless there is a change of possession.
Rationale: Allows for a correction of an official's mistake in a more reasonable timeframe.

Rule 9-3-3: A player may step out of bounds without penalty unless the player is the first to touch the ball after returning to the court or if the player left the court to avoid a violation.
Rationale: Allows a player to step out of bounds if they gain no advantage and penalizes a team only if they gain an advantage by leaving the court and returning to avoid a violation or to be the first to touch the ball.