In basketball, “bonuses” typically refer to special conditions or advantages that a team or player can earn during a game, often related to fouls or performance. There are two main types of bonuses in professional basketball:
1. Team Fouls and the Bonus Situation:
In many basketball leagues, including the NBA, when a team accumulates a certain number of team fouls (usually 4 or more in a quarter), the opposing team is awarded free throws for any subsequent fouls, even if the foul wasn’t committed during the act of shooting. This is called being “in the bonus.” This is done to discourage excessive fouling and reward the opposing team with free throws as a penalty.
– Bonus (or “penalty”) Free Throws: Once a team is in the bonus, any foul committed by the opposing team (that is not an offensive foul) will result in the fouled player getting two free throws. In the NBA, this is called the “penalty” situation, and it applies once a team has committed 4 or more team fouls in a quarter.
– Team Foul Limitations: For example, if a team commits 5 fouls in a quarter, any additional non-shooting foul would result in free throws for the opponent.
2. Player Performance Bonuses:
Some basketball players have performance-based contract bonuses. These bonuses are tied to individual or team performance metrics such as scoring a certain number of points, averaging a specific number of rebounds or assists, or leading the team to the playoffs. These bonuses are part of a player’s contract and can significantly increase their earnings if they meet certain performance goals during the season.
In both cases, bonuses serve as incentives—whether to manage fouling behavior or to reward individual player achievement.
