In basketball, a “bonus” refers to a situation in which a team has accumulated enough team fouls to grant the opposing team free throws. It typically occurs in two main contexts:
1. Team Fouls in a Quarter or Half: In most professional basketball leagues, such as the NBA, a team is allowed a limited number of fouls before the opponent is awarded free throws. For example, in the NBA, once a team commits 4 fouls in a quarter, the opponent enters the “bonus,” meaning any subsequent foul committed by that team results in free throws for the opposing player. In college basketball, the bonus situation usually occurs after the 7th team foul in a half (for one free throw), and the 10th team foul triggers “double bonus” (which means the opposing player gets two free throws).
2. Personal Foul Bonus: If a player accumulates a certain number of fouls in a game (usually 6 in the NBA or 5 in college basketball), they foul out of the game. While this is not technically a “bonus” for the opposing team, it does benefit the other team by eliminating a key player from the game.
The bonus system encourages teams to avoid excessive fouling, as repeated fouling leads to easy scoring opportunities through free throws for the opponent.
