2026 NBA Summer League Format
• Overview: All 30 NBA teams will participate in the NBA Summer League 2026 from July 9-19 in Las Vegas.
• Games: A total of 76 games will be played in the 11-day competition. Each team will play at least five games.
• Playoffs: After each team’s fourth game, the top four teams will advance to the semifinals on July 18. The two winning teams from the semifinal games will participate in the championship game on July 19. The four playoff teams and their seeds for playoff games will be determined by records in the first four games and, if necessary, the tiebreakers set forth below.
• Consolation Games: The 26 teams that do not advance to the four-team playoff will play a fifth game on either July 17, July 18 or July 19.
Tiebreak Criteria
1. Two Teams Tied: If two teams have the same record after the first four games, the following criteria will be utilized in the following order:
• Head-to-head matchup: Head-to-head record.
• Point differential: Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed.
• Total Points: Total points scored.
• Random drawing: If necessary, a random drawing.
2. More Than Two Teams Tied: If more than two teams have the same record after the first four games, the following criteria will be utilized in the following order:
• Point differential: Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed.
• Total Points: Total points scored.
• Random drawing: If necessary, a random drawing.
NBA Summer League 2026 Playing Rules
The following rules apply to all games at NBA Summer League. Other than as described below, the rules and
procedures that apply to NBA preseason, regular-season, and postseason games apply.
> Game Format
• Both teams are allowed 10 minutes to warm up on the game court prior to the start of each game.
• Each game has four 10-minute periods in regulation play, and overtime if needed.
• Halftime is eight minutes.
> Fouls
• A team reaches the penalty either on its fifth team foul in a regulation period or second team foul in the last two minutes of a regulation period.
• A player fouls out after committing his 10th personal foul of the game, except that during the semifinals and championship game, a player fouls out after committing his sixth personal foul of the game.
> Timeouts
• Each team is entitled to two timeouts per half.
• Two mandatory timeouts will be taken in each period in accordance with the following. A timeout taken by a team in a period will count as the next mandatory timeout due in that period.
If neither team has taken a timeout prior to 5:59 of the period, it will be mandatory for the Official Scorer to take a timeout at the first dead ball, but such timeout will not be charged to either team. If no subsequent timeouts are taken prior to 2:59, it will be mandatory for the Official Scorer to take a timeout, but it will not be charged to either team.
• All timeouts will last one minute and 45 seconds.
> Coach’s Challenge
• At any point during the game, a team may utilize a Challenge to trigger instant replay review of only the following three events: (i) a called personal foul charged to its own team; (ii) a called out-of-bounds violation where its own team was not awarded possession; or (iii) a called goaltending or basket interference violation.
• Officials will not have the ability to initiate replay review of a called goaltending or basket interference violation during the final two minutes of the fourth period or overtime.
• If a team utilizes a Challenge on an event that immediately preceded a mandatory timeout that is not charged to either team, the challenging team will be charged one timeout (even if the Challenge is successful).
> Referee-Initiated Instant Replay
The on-court officials may trigger instant replay in only the following situations:
• An altercation occurs.
• Officials are not reasonably certain whether a personal foul met the criteria for a flagrant foul.
• A field goal is made with no time remaining on the clock (0:00) at the end of any period.
• A foul is called with no time remaining on the clock (0:00) at the end of any period.
• A play concludes (i) with no time remaining on the clock (0:00) at the end of any period or (ii) at a point when the game officials believe that actual time may have expired in any period, and, in either case, the officials are reasonably certain that the game clock malfunctioned during the play.
• Officials are not reasonably certain at any time during a game (i) whether a successful field goal was scored correctly as a two-point or threepoint field goal, or (ii) in the case of a called shooting foul, whether the player was attempting a two-point or three-point field goal.
• Officials are not reasonably certain at any time during a game whether (i) a successful field goal was released prior to the expiration of the shot clock, or (ii) a called foul was committed prior to the expiration of the shot clock.
> One Free Throw In Most Situations
Consistent with the rules that have been in effect in the NBA G League since the 2019-20 season, except in the last two minutes of the fourth period and at any point during overtime (when standard NBA free throw rules will apply), one free throw (worth one, two or three points) will be awarded in accordance with the following:
• One free throw worth one point will be awarded for a technical foul, away-from-the-play foul or transition take foul, or any time a player is fouled in the act of shooting a successful field goal (including a flagrant foul).
• One free throw worth two points will be awarded for a flagrant foul, clear-path-to-thebasket foul, punching foul or common foul resulting in the penalty, or any time a player is fouled in the act of shooting an unsuccessful two-point field goal attempt.
• One free throw worth three points will be awarded any time a player is fouled in the act of shooting an unsuccessful three-point field goal attempt.
> Replay Assist
On-court officials will use headsets to communicate with one another and with the Replay Center. Specifically:
• The Replay Center Official may communicate information that may be relevant to the on-court officials’ decision whether to initiate replay review.
• An on-court official or the Replay Center Official may notify the other officials that they are triggering instant replay review and may communicate regarding such instant replay review (including regarding the final determination) • An on-court official may inform the Replay Center Official of a pending Coach’s Challenge and the officials may communicate regarding such Coach’s Challenge (including regarding the final determination).
• The Replay Center Official may communicate to the on-court officials information that may be relevant to prevent or address an error related to free throws, lineup positions, throw-ins, or record keeping that may be corrected in accordance with Rule 2, Section VI of the NBA Official Playing Rules.
• The Replay Center Official may provide or confirm administrative information (e.g., score, number of fouls, number of timeouts).
• In circumstances where there is clear and conclusive visual evidence on which the Replay Center Official is relying, the Replay Center Official may communicate to the on-court officials that the game clock malfunctioned at any point during the game; that the two players identified to participate in a jump ball are not the correct players; or that a team was incorrectly awarded possession on a called out-of-bounds violation.
> Coach’s Challenge
• At any point during the game, a team may utilize a Challenge to trigger instant replay review of only the following three events: (i) a called personal foul charged to its own team; (ii) a called out-ofbounds violation where its own team was not awarded possession; or (iii) a called goaltending or basket interference violation.
• Officials will not have the ability to initiate replay review of a called goaltending or basket interference violation during the final two minutes of the fourth period or overtime.
• If a team utilizes a Challenge on an event that immediately preceded a mandatory timeout that is not charged to either team, the challenging team will be charged one timeout (even if the Challenge is successful).
> Overtime
• The initial overtime period lasts two minutes.
• If necessary, the second overtime period is sudden death (i.e., the first team to score wins).
• Each team is entitled to one timeout in each overtime period (regardless of how many timeouts a team called in the second half or, if applicable, the initial overtime period).
• A team reaches the penalty on the second team foul in an overtime period.
• All rules that apply for the final two minutes of regulation apply for the entirety of each overtime period.
