EuroLeague begins next week with the SuperCup under a new rulebook. The competition has published its changes for the 2026-27 season, incorporating FIBA modifications effective October 1st but applied here from the first game, and adding clarifications on one of basketball's most debated plays: contact on the shooter.
When the shooting motion begins
The general definition is what FIBA already announced: in a jump shot or shot in motion, the shooting motion begins when the player moves the shoulders and ball upward toward the basket, and must occur on the offensive end of the court.
EuroLeague adds a relevant nuance for drives to the basket, where the criterion is different: the shooting motion will generally begin between the three-point line and the basket, from when the player catches the ball and continues the movement until release.
What contact is a foul and what isn't
This is the most useful part for fans, because these are situations that repeat every night.
Lateral contact will always be considered a foul on the floor, not a shooting foul. In other words, there will be no free throws if the player was not in the act of shooting.
Contact with the shooter's hand at the end of the motion will be legal only if it is light and occurs cleanly after the ball is released. Any contact on the side of the hand, on the wrist, on the arm, or on the body will still be a foul.
And there is one situation that is now penalized harshly: if the defender invades the shooter's landing space and the shooter's foot lands on the defender, it will be a flagrant foul.
Technical fouls in two categories
Technical fouls are now divided into two groups with different consequences.
Category 1 includes disrespect fouls, taunting opponents, obstructing a player's vision, and flopping. These do count toward disqualification.
Category 2 covers delaying or preventing the game, hanging on the rim after a dunk, and entering the lane during a free throw. These do not count.
Unsportsmanlike fouls eliminated
They are replaced by two new categories, as FIBA approved.
The disruptive foul covers contact that interrupts the flow of play and disadvantages the opponent without being serious: cutting off a fast break or stopping the clock at the end of a quarter.
The flagrant foul is called when the contact does not constitute a legitimate basketball play and is reckless, violent, or dangerous.
The immediate penalty is identical in both cases—two free throws and possession—but only the flagrant foul counts toward disqualification.
When a player is disqualified
A player will be disqualified for two Category 1 technical fouls, two flagrant fouls, or one Category 1 technical foul plus one flagrant foul.
A head coach will be disqualified for two Category 1 technical fouls of their own or if their bench accumulates three technical fouls of that same category.