The rules of basketball do not allow players to intentionally make contact with one another. If two players are going after a rebound or a loose ball, the players can go hard after the ball and make incidental contact, but if one player intentionally makes contact with an opponent, he is called for a foul. Players can foul out of games when they commit too many fouls.
NBA
NBA rules force a player to the sidelines after he commits his sixth personal foul in a game. When a player gets charged with a personal foul while playing defense, the team also gets charged with a foul. An offensive foul results in the player getting charged with a personal foul, but it is not a team foul. A player who is called for two technical fouls also is disqualified from playing the rest of the game. Technical fouls usually are handed out for arguing with officials.
NCAA
College basketball players foul out of a game when they commit their fifth foul. College basketball games consist of two 20-minute halves, while NBA games consist of four 12-minute quarters. The difference in the length of games between the NBA and college basketball is a clear reason why professional basketball players get an additional foul.
International Basketball
The International Basketball Federation, or FIBA, governs all international basketball games and tournaments, including the Olympic Games. FIBA basketball games consist of four 10-minute quarters. Players foul out after their fifth foul in international basketball.
Bonus Situations
The rules of basketball punish teams for accumulating fouls. In the NBA, teams go to the free-throw line to shoot two free throws when their opponent commits the fifth foul of the quarter. In college basketball, a team will be awarded one free throw and a bonus -- another shot if the player makes the first free throw -- on the team's seventh foul of the half and two free throws on the tenth foul of the half. In international basketball, a team is awarded two free throws after the fifth foul of the quarter. The bonus situation remains intact in international basketball if the game goes into overtime.
Overtime
The start of overtime does not represent a new beginning for a player who has fouled out. If a player fouls out in regulation time, that player must remain on the bench for any overtime periods that are played.
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