Andrew Pace
Basketball is a high-scoring game, so tied scores are rare. However, when it does happen, the game goes into overtime, where both teams play for an extra five minutes to determine a winner. If the score remains tied after this period, the game goes into a further overtime period, and this continues until a winner is found. The longest NBA game in history saw six overtimes, with the Indianapolis Olympians defeating the Rochester Royals 75-73.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What happens if the score is tied in basketball? | The game goes into overtime, a five-minute extension, where the teams play for extra time to determine a result. |
| How long is overtime? | Overtime periods are five minutes long, with two minutes and thirty seconds of break time before the overtime period begins. |
| How many timeouts are allowed in overtime? | Each team is allowed one timeout in the overtime period. |
| What happens if the score is still tied after overtime? | If the score is still tied after an overtime period during regular season play, the game ends in a tie. |
| What happens if it's a playoff game? | In playoff games, teams will play extra periods until a winner is determined. |
| Longest game in NBA history | The longest game in NBA history had six overtimes. The Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73. |
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What You'll Learn
Overtime rules
Ties are uncommon in basketball due to the sport's high-scoring nature. However, if the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, the game goes into overtime, where the teams play for an extra five minutes to determine a winner. This overtime period starts with a jump ball at mid-court, and each team is allowed two timeouts. If the score remains tied after the first overtime, the game goes into a second, and potentially subsequent, overtime periods until a winner is decided.
In regular-season games, if the score is still tied after all the overtime periods, the game ends as a draw. However, in playoff games, the game continues into additional overtime periods until a winner is determined.
The longest NBA game in history had six overtimes, with the Indianapolis Olympians defeating the Rochester Royals 75-73. Another notable game between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks in 2019 went into four overtimes, with the Bulls winning 168-161.
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Playoff rules
If the score is tied at the end of the fourth period in a basketball game, the game goes into overtime, where both teams play for an additional five minutes to determine a winner. This period begins with a jump ball at mid-court and follows the same rules as the main game, including foul totals carrying over. Each team is allowed one or two timeouts in the overtime period, depending on the league. If the game is still tied after the first overtime period, the teams will play another full overtime period. This process will continue until a winner is determined.
In playoff games, the rules are mostly the same as the regular season, with the same overtime format. The key difference is that playoff games will continue to play extra overtime periods until a winner is determined, whereas in the regular season, some leagues dictate that the game ends as a tie after one overtime period. Additionally, any player ejected during the playoffs will not be eligible for the remainder of the playoffs.
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Timeouts
If the basketball game ends in a draw, the contest goes into overtime, a five-minute extension provided to both teams to determine a result. Each team is allowed two timeouts in the overtime period, but timeouts do not carry over from the regulation period. Each team is entitled to seven charged timeouts during regulation play, with a limit of four timeouts in the fourth period. If no timeouts are taken before 6:59 of the period, the official scorer must take a mandatory timeout at the first dead ball, charging it to the home team. If no subsequent timeouts are taken before 2:59, another mandatory timeout is taken, charged to the team not previously charged. Mandatory timeouts are 2:45 minutes for local games and 3:15 minutes for national games.
The longest NBA game in history saw six overtimes, with the Indianapolis Olympians taking on the Rochester Royals and winning 75-73. A more recent example is the Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks game in 2019, which went into four overtimes, with the Bulls winning 168-161.
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Jump balls
If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter in basketball, the game goes into overtime. Overtime is a five-minute extension, where the game clock only stops for fouls or violations in the last minute of play. Each team is allowed two timeouts, and the overtime period begins with a jump ball at mid-court. If the score remains tied after the first overtime period, the teams will play another overtime period. This process will repeat until a winner is determined, unless it is a regular-season game, in which case a tie will be recorded if the score remains level after one overtime period.
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Fouls
There are several types of fouls in basketball, including personal fouls, technical fouls, unsportsmanlike fouls, and flagrant fouls. Personal fouls are the most common and can be called on a player for various reasons, such as illegal use of hands to impede an opponent's movement (hand-check), shouldering, holding, tripping, pushing, or striking. Technical fouls are usually called for more serious infractions, such as an attempted punch or swing, throwing an elbow above shoulder level, or deliberately entering the stands. Unsportsmanlike fouls are acts that are considered unsportsmanlike but may not be as severe as a technical foul, such as eye guarding. Flagrant fouls are the most severe and often involve excessive or unnecessary contact, such as a punch or a hard foul that could cause injury.
The consequences of fouls vary depending on the type of foul, the league, and the number of fouls committed by a player or team. In the NBA, for example, a player who commits their fifth foul is disqualified, and a player who commits two technical fouls, one flagrant foul, or one flagrant technical foul is ejected. Teams are also awarded free throws for certain fouls committed against them, which can be crucial in tied games as they provide an opportunity to score without the pressure of the game clock.
It's important to note that foul totals are typically reset to zero after each quarter, except during overtime when they carry over. This can be a crucial strategy consideration for teams, as they may need to adjust their tactics if key players are in foul trouble. Additionally, in non-professional leagues, a player's maximum number of fouls is five, while in the NBA and WNBA, it is six.
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Frequently asked questions
If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, the game goes into overtime. Overtime is a five-minute extension where both teams play to determine a result.
If the score is still tied after the first overtime, the game goes into a second overtime, and so on, until one team has a higher score.
Each overtime period lasts five minutes. The first two minutes are running time, the next two minutes are stop time, and there is a one-minute intermission before the extra period.
The longest game in NBA history saw six overtimes. The Indianapolis Olympians took on the Rochester Royals and emerged victorious with a final score of 75-73.
