The shot clock and time violations: 24, 14, 8, 5 and 3 seconds
The 24-second shot clock and its 14-second reset, plus the backcourt, three-second, five-second and over-and-back violations that keep the game moving.
The 24-second shot clock
A team has 24 seconds to attempt a shot that hits the rim; fail, and it is a shot-clock violation and the ball goes over. The clock resets to 24 on a change of possession, and — in both the NBA and FIBA — resets to 14 after an offensive rebound of a missed shot that hit the rim. The clock is what forces teams to attack rather than stall.
Getting it up the floor: the 8-second rule
After gaining the ball in their own half (the backcourt), a team has 8 seconds to move it past halfway into the frontcourt. Sit on the ball too long in your own end and it is an 8-second violation. It is the rule that stops teams from simply killing time in the backcourt.
The three-second rule
An offensive player cannot stay in the opponents’ painted lane for more than three consecutive seconds while their team controls the ball. It stops big men from camping under the basket. (The NBA also has a defensive three-second rule, limiting a defender to three seconds in the lane unless actively guarding someone.)
Backcourt and five-second violations
Once the ball has crossed into the frontcourt, the offence cannot send it back over the halfway line — that is a backcourt violation, or “over and back”. And a player closely guarded, or inbounding, must act within five seconds. Together these clocks and lines keep possessions short and the game flowing.