Basketball is a very popular sport that people across the globe enjoy. The players are divided into two teams, each consisting of five members. Both teams then try to shoot a ball through a hoop in order to score.
There are numerous rules involved in the game. For this purpose, there are various leagues held that have the authority to make regulations. NBA and FIBA are two of these.
Key Takeaways
- NBA is a professional basketball league in North America, while FIBA governs international basketball.
- NBA follows its rules, while FIBA adheres to a globally standardized rulebook.
- FIBA’s World Cup features national teams, while NBA comprises city-based franchises.
NBA vs FIBA
The NBA is the world’s premier professional basketball league, with the United States and Canada teams. The NBA sets the rules for the game of basketball in its league and other aspects of the league. FIBA is the international governing body for basketball and oversees the sport globally.
NBA is an acronym for ‘National Basketball Association’. This is a league that holds various basketball matches across North America. In total, that are 30 teams that are enrolled in this league.
They represent 29 areas in the United States and 1 in Canada. It has a very high reputation. The league is considered the top-ranking men’s professional basketball league in the world.
Meanwhile, FIBA is an acronym for International Basketball Federation. Unlike NBA, this is an organization that lays down the rules of Basketball that need to be followed worldwide.
This includes rules based on equipment and facilities. Moreover, it looks over athletes travelling across countries and appoints international referees to several games. FIBA also holds international competitions or ‘leagues’ like NBA.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | NBA | FIBA |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Form | It stands for National Basketball Association. | It stands for International Basketball Federation. |
| Establishment | It was established on 6 June 1946. | It was established on 18 June 1932. |
| Nature | It has a relatively smaller scale and only holds leagues. | It has a very large scale and sets rules for the entire game along with holding leagues. |
| Quarters in Leagues | In the games, the quarters are of a duration of 12 minutes. | In the games, the quarters are of a duration of 10 minutes. |
| Referees in Leagues | There are three referees appointed for each game. | There are only two referees appointed for each game. |
| Disqualification in Leagues | It takes 6 fouls for the entire team to get disqualified. | It takes 5 fouls for the entire team to get disqualified. |
| Time-outs in Leagues | The organization allows 6 regular timeouts in addition to extra timeouts at half and overtime. | The organization only allows one time-out per quarter and two time-outs in the last quarter. |
| Time-out Rules | The time-out can be called for the coach and even the players. | The time-out can be called out by the coach only. |
| Other Rules in Leagues | During the game, the players are allowed to make contact with the ball only when it is above the cylinder. | During the game, the players are allowed to make contact with the ball when it comes to the rim. |
What is NBA?
NBA stands for National Basketball Association. It was founded on 6 June 1946 and has gained immense popularity in North America.
The organization mainly holds several games called ‘leagues’. In total, 30 teams participate in these games from various parts of the United States and one from Canada.
During the game, there are several rules that the NBA defines beforehand. They specify that each quarter will be 12 minutes long. During the quarter, the players or coach can call for a time-out six times.
Extra time-outs are allowed during the half and overtime.
Moreover, each game will have three referees. They oversee the game for fouls, which on committing 6 of them, can get the entire team disqualified.
Apart from this, other rules also include that the players are only allowed to come in contact with the ball when it is above the cylinder. Every player, coach, and referee needs to respect these rules in order to be able to win the entire league.
As compared to FIBA, NBA holds its leagues on a relatively smaller scale. It is also not allowed to make rules for the whole of Basketball. However, it is still considered to be one of the top-ranking leagues across the globe.
What is FIBA?
FIBA stands for International Basketball Federation. It was founded on 18 June 1932. Since then, it has been the leading authority that makes rules for how Basketball should be played across the world.
Some of these rules include regulations for travelling across countries for athletes, the appointment of international referees, and even rules based on equipment and facilities. Apart from this, it also holds international leagues.
During these games, the FIBA sets different rules. The quarters are only 10 minutes long. During these quarters, only one time-out is required per quarter.
Except for the last quarter, in which two time-outs are allowed. Moreover, there are only two referees appointed for each game. They look over the game for fouls. On committing five of these, an entire team gets disqualified.
Apart from this, other rules specify that the players can only come in contact with the ball when it reaches the rim. If this rule is not followed, they can get a foul.
Regardless, the organization and even its games are on a much larger scale as compared to NBA. Moreover, FIBA is the leading authority for the whole Basketball sport. Interestingly, players entering FIBA are not allowed to wear t-shirts under their jerseys.
Main Differences Between NBA and FIBA
- NBA stands for National Basketball Association, whereas FIBA stands for International Basketball Federation.
- NBA was established on 6 June 1946, whereas FIBA was established on 18 June 1932.
- NBA has a relatively smaller scale and only holds leagues, whereas FIBA has a very large scale and sets rules for the entire game along with holding leagues.
- In the games, the quarters are of a duration of 12 minutes in the NBA, whereas in FIBA, the quarters are of a duration of 10 minutes.
- In NBA, three referees are appointed for each game, whereas in FIBA, only two are appointed for each game.
- In NBA, it takes 6 fouls for the entire team to get disqualified, whereas in FIBA, it takes 5 fouls for the entire team to get disqualified.
- NBA allows 6 regular timeouts in addition to extra timeouts at half and overtime, whereas FIBA only allows one time-out per quarter and two time-outs in the last quarter.
- In the NBA, the time-out can be called for the coach and even the players, whereas in FIBA, the coach can only call out the time-out.
- During the game, the players are allowed to make contact with the ball only when it is above the cylinder in NBA whereas, in FIBA, the players are allowed to make contact with the ball when it comes to the rim.
Last Updated : 17 August, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
The article offers an impressive depth of knowledge about how NBA and FIBA operate. It’s a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the nuances of professional basketball leagues.
The article provides a comprehensive understanding of the distinctions between NBA and FIBA. It’s great to see a detailed comparison of the two basketball organizations.
While the article does present factual differences between NBA and FIBA, it lacks a critical analysis of the impact of these differences on the sport and the experiences of fans and players.
This piece seems to highlight the stark contrast between the two leagues in a rather dry and unemotional manner. Injecting a touch of humor could make the content more engaging.
Very informative and well-detailed article about the differences between NBA and FIBA. I appreciate the in-depth comparison between the two leagues, it shows the writer has done extensive research on the topic.
I completely agree. The information provided is very educational and insightful. Great work!
I find the tone and structure of the article to be quite dry and monotonous. It could benefit from a more engaging writing style to captivate readers’ interest.