As written in the 2025-26 NFHS Basketball Rules Book:
ART. 1 ... The thrower shall not leave the designated throw-in spot until the ball has been released on a throw-in pass.
ART. 2 … The ball shall be passed by the thrower directly into the court from out-of-bounds so it touches or is touched by another player (inbounds or out of bounds) on the court before going out of bounds untouched
ART. 3 … The thrown ball shall not be touched by a teammate of the thrower while the ball is on the out-of-bounds side of the throw-in boundary-line plane, except as in Rule 7-5-7.
ART. 4 … Once the throw-in starts, the ball shall be released on a pass directly into the court before five seconds have elapsed.
ART. 5 … The thrower shall not carry the ball onto the court.
ART. 6 … The thrown ball shall not touch the thrower in the court before it touches or is touched by another player.
ART. 7 … The thrown ball shall not enter the basket before it touches or is touched by another player.
ART. 8 … The thrown ball shall not become lodged between the backboard and ring or come to rest on the flange before it touches or is touched by another player.
ART. 9 … The thrower shall not be replaced by a teammate after the ball is at the thrower’s disposal, except as in Rule 7-5-7.
ART. 10 … The opponent(s) of the thrower shall not have any body part through the inbounds side of the throw-in boundary-line plane until the ball has been released on a throw-in pass.
NOTES:
- The thrower may penetrate the plane provided the thrower does not touch the inbounds area or a player inbounds before the ball is released on the throw-in pass. The opponent in this situation may legally touch or grasp the ball.
- In situations with the clock running and five seconds or less are left on the game clock, a throw-in plane violation or interfering with the ball following a goal should be ignored if its only purpose is to stop the clock.
PENALTIES: (Art. 10)
- The first violation of the throw-in boundary-line plane by an opponent(s) of the thrower shall result in a team warning for delay being given (one delay warning per team per game). The warning does not result in the loss of the opportunity to move along the end line, if applicable. If a warning occurs during an alternating possession throw-in, it remains an alternating possession throw-in.
- The second or additional violations will result in a technical foul assessed to the offending team. (10-2-1c Penalty)
- If an opponent(s) reaches through the throw-in boundary-line plane and touches or dislodges the ball while in control of the thrower or being passed to a teammate outside the boundary line (as in Rule 7-5-7), a technical foul shall be charged to the offender. No warning for delay required. (10-4-10 Penalty)
- If an opponent(s) contacts the thrower, an intentional personal foul shall be charged to the offender. No warning for delay required.
ART. 11 … No teammate of the thrower shall be out of bounds after a designated-spot throw-in begins.
ART. 12 … The thrower shall not purposely and/or deceitfully delay returning after legally being out of bounds and then become the first player to touch the ball after returning to the playing court.
PENALTY: (Section 2) The ball becomes dead when the violation or technical foul occurs. Following a violation:
a. When the opponent is awarded team control in its frontcourt, the throw-in will be at one of the four designated spots based on the location of the violation relative to the three-point line where the violation occurred. (Diagram 5)
b. When the opponent is awarded team control in its backcourt, the throw-in will be based on the location of the violation relative to the three-point line where the violation occurred. (Diagram 5)
9-2-12 & 9-3-4 (NEW): This rule change addresses situations where a thrower purposely and/or deceitfully delays returning inbounds after legally stepping out of bounds and then becomes the first player to touch the ball upon re-entering the court. Previously penalized as a technical foul, this action is now treated as a violation, aligning it with similar out-of-bounds scenarios. The change reduces the severity of the penalty to encourage more consistent enforcement by officials and prevents players from gaining an unfair advantage through deceptive re-entry tactics.
Rationale: This change lessens the penalty for players who delay their return after being out of bounds, shifting the penalty from a technical foul to a less severe violation. This rule aligns with the penalty structure of similar violations, such as Rule 9-3-3 (where a player steps out of bounds on their own volition). The change is intended to make it easier for officials to recognize and penalize these actions consistently while reducing the severity of the penalty, encouraging more accurate enforcement.