Flagrant Foul
Also known as: Unsportsmanlike foul, Flagrant 1, Flagrant 2
Contact that goes beyond a normal basketball play.
The rule
A foul is flagrant when the contact is unnecessary, excessive or dangerous: not a real attempt to play the ball. Swinging at an opponent’s head, or hitting a player in the air with no play on the ball, are typical examples. Referees usually check these on video.
The penalty
Free throws for the fouled player, and their team also keeps the ball. The worst ones mean the offender is thrown out of the game.
The reason
Player safety. The extra penalty makes sure a dangerous foul never pays off.
Around the leagues
- Flagrant 1 or 2: NBA, WNBA. 2 free throws and the ball. A Flagrant 2, or two Flagrant 1s, means ejection.
- Flagrant 1 or 2: NCAA M, NCAA W. 2 free throws and the ball. A Flagrant 2 means ejection.
- Flagrant foul: FIBA. New in 2026, replacing the unsportsmanlike foul. Free throws and the ball. Two flagrants mean disqualification. A milder “disruptive foul” now covers fouls that just stop a fast break.
- Unsportsmanlike foul: Wheelchair. Free throws and the ball. Two of them, or one plus a technical, mean disqualification.
- Unsportsmanlike foul: 3x3. First one: 2 free throws. Second one: 2 free throws and the ball, and the player is sent off.
Related: Technical Foul, Fouling Out
In the Dictionary: Foul