Foul & Violation Procedures

Officials must understand the fundamental sequence of stopping the clock. This is the foundation that every foul, violation, and reporting procedure builds upon. This sublesson teaches you exactly when and how to stop the clock, the difference between foul and violation mechanics, how to sequence your actions after the whistle, and how to report properly to the scorer’s table.

Fundamental Stop-the-Clock Mechanics

Officials stop the clock using two universal signals:

Closed Fist = FOUL

Used for:

• All common fouls
• Team control fouls
• Player control fouls

Key points:

• Immediately raise a closed fist to stop the clock.
• Imaging you have nail in between your fingers and are punching it into the ceiling
• If the direction of play changes (team control / player control), you may:
  • Stop the clock
  • Then indicate the new direction
• After stopping the clock on a foul, you must indicate:
  • The spot of the upcoming throw-in OR
  • That free throws will be administered

Open Hand = VIOLATION

Used for:

• Almost all violations
• Technical fouls