Basketball Shot Clock Rules

Q: How long is the NBA shot clock?

The NBA shot clock is 24 seconds. It resets to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound.

Q: How long is the college basketball shot clock?

The NCAA shot clock is 30 seconds for both men's and women's basketball. It resets to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound.

Q: How long is the high school basketball shot clock?

NFHS permits state adoption of a 35-second shot clock. Check your state athletic association and season requirements; adoption and competition formats differ.

Q: What is the FIBA shot clock?

FIBA (international basketball) uses a 24-second shot clock, identical to the NBA. It also resets to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound.

Q: What happens on a shot clock violation?

A legal attempt must leave the hand before time expires and then score or touch the rim. The ball does not have to reach the rim before the buzzer. Officials determine whether a violation occurred and apply the relevant league’s restart procedure.

Q: When does the shot clock reset?

A new possession normally receives a full clock. An offensive rebound from a shot that hits the rim uses a shorter reset: 14 seconds in the NBA/FIBA and 20 in NCAA play. Fouls, violations, throw-in location and time remaining can change the result; do not reset on every defensive touch or whistle.

The basketball shot clock is a countdown timer that limits how long a team with possession has to attempt a shot that scores or touches the rim. Duration and reset rules vary by league: NBA and FIBA use 24 seconds, NCAA uses 30 seconds, high school varies by state.

How Long Is the Shot Clock by League?

League	Shot Clock	Reset Rule
NBA	24 seconds	14 seconds on offensive rebound
WNBA	24 seconds	14 seconds on offensive rebound
NCAA Men's	30 seconds	20 seconds on offensive rebound
NCAA Women's	30 seconds	20 seconds on offensive rebound
FIBA (International)	24 seconds	14 seconds on offensive rebound
High School (where adopted)	Check state rules (NFHS: 35 seconds)	Varies by state

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the basketball shot clock?

How long is the NBA shot clock?

How long is the college basketball shot clock?

How long is the high school basketball shot clock?

What is the FIBA shot clock?

What happens on a shot clock violation?

When does the shot clock reset?

When Does the Shot Clock Reset?

Start with the league’s rules and the official’s signal. These common examples are not a complete reset procedure:

A new team taking possession normally gets a full clock: 24 seconds in NBA/FIBA or 30 in NCAA play.
When the offense recovers a shot that hits the rim, the usual reset is 14 seconds in NBA/FIBA and 20 in NCAA play. NCAA frontcourt/backcourt distinctions matter.
A defensive foul is not automatically a full reset. Throw-in location and remaining time can affect the reset.
A defensive touch without possession does not by itself reset the clock. A missed shot that never reaches the rim is not a reset.

Use NBA Rule 7 or the NCAA rules and table-crew resources for the complete procedure.

What Happens on a Shot Clock Violation?

The ball must leave the shooter’s hand before the clock expires and then enter the basket or touch the rim. It can still be in flight when the buzzer sounds. If the attempt does not satisfy the rule:

Turnover - opposing team gets possession
Officials apply the league’s throw-in location and restart procedure
If shot is in the air when buzzer sounds, it counts if it goes in (NBA/FIBA)

Which States Use a High School Shot Clock?

NFHS permits state associations to adopt a 35-second shot clock. There is no single national adoption schedule covering every state and competition.

Check your state association’s current basketball rules, the season and the level of play before choosing a duration. See the NFHS state-adoption announcement.

Track Shot Clock in Your Games

ScoreKeeperCo's basketball scoreboard includes a built-in shot clock with presets for NBA (24s), NCAA (30s), and custom durations.

Create a Basketball Scoreboard