NBA Board of Governors Approves Transition 'Take Foul' Rule Change

The NBA announced Tuesday that the league's board of governors approved stricter penalties for transition take fouls in the 2022-23 season.

When such a foul is committed, the team that was fouled will be given one free throw—which any offensive player on the court at the time of the foul can take—and will retain possession, while the fouling player will be given one personal foul.

The NBA defines a take foul as "a foul in which the defender does not make a play on the ball" and a transition scoring opportunity as the offensive team "continuously advancing the ball while it has an advantage based on the speed of play, the position of the defenders or both."

However, the NBA added that defending teams could still commit take fouls in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime periods without the added penalties.

Other addendums included:

• Any immediate foul after a change in possession but before the offensive team is able to advance the ball will incur the increased penalty.
• Any offensive player off the ball who is fouled during a transition scoring opportunity will trigger the new, increased penalty.
• The increased penalty will not be applied if the offensive player is in the act of shooting. In that case, a shooting foul will be applied.
• A defensive player making a legitimate play on the ball won't receive the new, increased penalty, though they may still be subject to clear-path-to-the-basket fouls.

Other changes are coming as well, with the league officially implementing the popular play-in tournament on a permanent basis. The league added a three-game tournament for the final two playoff spots in each conference the past two seasons, with the Nos. 7-10 seeds competing for the two berths.

And Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Tuesday night that the league's board of governors discussed a midseason tournament that would feature all 30 teams.

The tournament would include a single-elimination round for the final eight teams and the final four contested at a neutral location.

The 2023-24 season would be the earliest that such a tournament—which somewhat mirrors midseason tournaments in European football such as England's FA Cup, though that tournament includes teams from every professional division in the country, not just the top-flight Premier League—would be added.