How many fouls to foul out in the NBA?

In most sports, a player's removal from a game by an official usually requires poor conduct by the player. In basketball, however, fouling the opposition one too many times leads to “fouling out” of the game. In college and high school basketball, players are allowed five fouls each before they are removed. In the NBA, the limit is a little more lenient. Games are 48 minutes, eight minutes longer than in high school and college, and players foul out when six fouls are called on them. 

How do fouls affect strategy in basketball?

Because of the limit on fouls, coaches at the high school, college and professional levels of basketball must manage their players should they get into foul trouble. For instance, if a team’s star picks up two fouls within the first five minutes of a game, the head coach probably will bench the player to avoid further foul trouble. This gives coaches something extra to consider when managing a game and makes basketball unique strategically. 

Were college players ever allowed six fouls?

In 1990, the Big East increased the number of personal fouls allowed per player to six, an experiment that ended in 1992. Conference coaches believed it put Big East teams at a disadvantage in the NCAA Tournament, when they would have to re-adjust to the five-foul limit. Since then, every major conference in college basketball has set the foul limit at five.