Okay, I know I should have this straight, but I don't. I need help with two things:

1) When Team A has committed 8 fouls and Team B has committed 5 fouls, who is in the bonus, A or B? In other words, is it good to be in the bonus, or bad?

2) What's a simple mnemonic to remember this?

I don't have any trouble with who scores at whose end. it's one way in basketball, and another way in hockey, soccer and football. (Baseball is a screwed up mess in this regard!) Why can't I keep the bonus things straight?!

In the bonus is good. It refers to the team that will be shooting free throws, one and one or two shots.

BTW, is the NF rule the same as NCAA in this case? 1 and 1 on the 7th, 8th and 9th fouls and double bonus after that? I do some college games under NCAA rules, but I have never refereed under NF rules.

For your information, FIBA does not use the term bonus but rather penalty like the NBA. In this case, it's bad. The team in the penalty will have FT shot against them on any ensuing foul.

"Bonus good, Penalty bad. Bonus good, Penalty bad. Bonus good Penalty bad." I think I can just about handle that.

BTW, NF is the same as NCAA -- one and one on 7, 8, and 9, and two shots on 10+.

And just to complete the academic discussion...

It's not double bonus. On the 7th-9th foul and team gets 1 FT plus a "bonus" FT if they make the first. On the 10th foul, the bonus becomes "automatic". Technically, it is called the "automatic bonus". "Double bonus" would imply that they could receive upto 3 shots....the first plus the first bonus and then a second bonus.

(Edited to fix some spelling)

[Edited by Camron Rust on Dec 22nd, 2003 at 03:52 PM]

Kinda like the old NBA "3-to-make-2" rule.

Worst rule EVER in the game.