What is a Technical Foul? NBA Playoff fines and suspensions explained

In basketball, the pursuit of victory should be guided by fairness, respect, and adherence to the rules. There’s a huge rule book for the players, aiming primarily to avoid any potential disruption and to maintain a fair game. But when players, coaches, or even team personnel violate that spirit— deliberately or repeatedly— they can be charged with a technical foul . A technical foul arises when conduct on or off the court goes against the game’s integrity, even if it doesn’t involve physical contact.
What Exactly is a Technical Foul?

A technical foul is considered a non-contact behavioral infraction. It's different from personal or unsporting fouls and can be called for a wide range of misconduct. Here's a clear breakdown of behaviors that lead to a technical foul:

• Ignoring Referee Warnings: After an official issues a warning, any repeat offense by a player, coach, or bench member will result in a technical foul.
  
  
  
• Disrespectful Communication: Arguing with referees, table officials, or opponents in a hostile manner, or using language or gestures meant to provoke the crowd or the other team.
  
  
• Taunting or Baiting Opponents: Actions such as staring down a rival or making mocking gestures after scoring can lead to a call.
  
  
  
• Obstructing Vision: Placing hands close to an opponent’s eyes, even defensively, is prohibited due to the risk of eye injury.
  
  
• Excessive Elbow Swinging: Players who swing elbows to clear space without contact may still get called for endangering others.
  
  
• Delaying the Game: This includes:
  

-Touching the ball after it passes through the basket.
-Preventing quick inbound plays.
-Stalling before a free throw.

• Flopping or Faking Fouls: Dramatically exaggerating contact to deceive referees is now punishable under updated FIBA rules.
  
  
• Hanging on the Rim: A player may momentarily hold the rim after a dunk, but extended hanging, like doing a chin-up, is penalized unless it’s to prevent injury.
  
  
• Goaltending on a Free Throw: If a defender interferes with a final free throw, the point is awarded, followed by a technical foul.
  

Coaches and Technical Fouls
Coaches aren’t entirely immune. A head coach can be disqualified from a game if they accumulate:

• Two direct technical fouls, or
  
  
• One direct and two indirect (from bench behavior), or
  
  
• Three indirect technical fouls.
  

How the penalty works

Draymond Green in Game 4:

5 personal fouls
1 flagrant foul
1 technical foul
1 game winning stop

The most Draymond statline ever. pic.twitter.com/mejxoL8AyY

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 29, 2025

When a technical foul is called:

• The opposing team is awarded one free throw.
  
  
• The ball returns to the point of interruption. For example, if Team A had the ball, it remains theirs after the technical shot.
  
  
• If the infraction happens during a live ball, play is stopped immediately, but actions like successful shots or fouls before the whistle still count.
  

Clean slate for Playoff contenders
One of the most important distinctions is that players start the playoffs with a fresh record when it comes to technical fouls. As soon as the regular season ends, all accumulated technical fouls are reset to zero. That means even if a player racked up 15 technical fouls during the regular season, they won’t carry any of that baggage into the playoffs.

This rule has a major strategic implication. It allows key players to avoid suspensions that could have otherwise affected critical playoff games. However, the freedom isn’t limitless.
Technical Foul limits and suspensions in the Playoffs
While players do get a reset, the NBA puts strict limits on how many technical fouls are tolerated in the postseason:

• After 7 technical fouls, a player receives a one-game suspension.
  
  
• For every two additional technicals after that, the suspension increases by one game. So, if a player reaches 9, they miss two games.
  

Financial consequences of Technical Fouls
Fines also scale depending on how many infractions a player racks up. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Regular Season Fines

• Technicals 1–5: $2,000 each
  
  
• Technicals 6–10: $3,000 each
  
  
• Technicals 11–15: $4,000 each
  
  
• Technical 16: $5,000 fine + one-game suspension
  
  
• Every additional tech after 16: $5,000
  
  
• Every 2 additional techs (18, 20, etc.): $5,000 + suspension
  

Playoff Fines

• Technicals 1–2: $2,000 each
  
  
• Technicals 3–4: $3,000 each
  
  
• Technicals 5–6: $4,000 each
  
  
• Technical 7: $5,000 + one-game suspension
  
  
• Each extra tech: $5,000
  
  
• Every 2 after that: $5,000 + one-game suspension
  

Ejections and pay losses
Ejections are treated separately:

• First ejection: $2,000 fine
  
  
• Each additional ejection: +$2,000 more than the last
  

It’s worth noting that a suspended player does not get paid for that specific game .

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