In the sport of basketball, the bonus situation (also called the penalty situation) occurs when one team accumulates a requisite number of fouls, the number of which varies depending on the level of play. When one team has committed the requisite number of fouls, each subsequent foul results in the opposing team's taking free throws regardless of the type of foul committed (i.e., whether or not the foul was a shooting foul). Teams under the limit are commonly referred to as having fouls to give, and thus they can try to disrupt their opponents without being penalized free throws. These fouls reset every quarter or half depending on the rules in use (i.e. FIBA, NBA, NCAA, etc.).
FIBA
Under FIBA rules, used for all competitions involving international teams and most leagues outside the U.S., the penalty is triggered when a team commits more than four fouls in a quarter; the fifth and subsequent team fouls will incur penalty free throws. All subsequent non-shooting defensive fouls committed by that team in the same quarter concede two free throws. All fouls committed by players count towards the team foul count.
Only defensive fouls are awarded free throws.
Team fouls accrue from the fourth period on, as all overtimes are extensions of it for the purpose of team foul accumulation.
Effective in October 2022, FIBA created a new category of personal foul that it calls a "throw-in foul", defined as a defensive foul committed in the last 2 minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime period, during a throw-in, but before the ball is released by the thrower. Regardless of the penalty situation, the non-fouling team receives 1 free throw and possession.
FIBA 3x3
The 3-man game, known as FIBA 3x3, has a slightly different penalty rule. The penalty is triggered when a team commits more than six fouls in a game. Each penalty situation involves two penalty free throws, and the tenth and subsequent fouls will also include possession of the ball.
The bonus rule specifically supersedes the normal rules for defensive fouls on shot attempts. Instead of the 1 shot awarded on a made basket or a missed 1-point shot attempt, or the 2 free throws awarded on a missed 2-point shot attempt, 2 free throws are always awarded regardless of the result of the shot attempt.
However, as in standard basketball rules, offensive fouls (if not technical or unsportsmanlike) never result in free throws, regardless of the number of team fouls.
NBA and WNBA
Team foul penalty
In the National Basketball Association and Women's National Basketball Association, bonus rules in a quarter apply starting with the fifth team foul, with a rule change preventing a team not in the penalty late in a period from committing multiple fouls without penalty. The rules on the team foul penalty are similar to the FIBA version, with three major differences:
Only defensive and loose-ball fouls count towards a team's limit for the team foul penalty. Offensive fouls do not count towards the team foul penalty unless a player is in the player foul penalty situation.
The team foul penalty applies after a team commits two fouls in the final two minutes of a period if the team had not yet reached the penalty phase in the first ten (NBA) or eight (WNBA) minutes of that period. In other words, within any period, free throws are awarded starting from the fifth foul or from the second foul within the last two minutes of the period, whichever comes earlier.
If a game enters overtime, the foul counts are reset to 0, and are similarly reset before each subsequent overtime period. The penalty phase starts with the fourth foul in each overtime period rather than five for regulation periods, since overtime periods are much shorter than regulation periods (5 minutes vs. 10/12 in regulation play). As in regulation play, two free throws are awarded for non-shooting defensive fouls during the bonus, and one foul in the final two minutes automatically puts the team in the team foul penalty.
Player foul penalty
A player who commits their sixth (and subsequent) personal foul and must remain in the game because the team has no eligible players remaining is charged with a non-unsportsmanlike conduct technical foul, with the penalty of a single free throw, regardless of offensive or defensive foul. Likewise, a player who was the last player to commit six fouls is called back into the game if no eligible players remain following an injury or ejection. The player cannot be ejected for a technical foul in either situation.