Summer League 2026: NBA Rolls Out Single Free Throw Rule, Connected Ball

NBA to test 'one free-throw rule' in summer league to speed up games

Could the NBA adopt it? The league will test the one free-throw rule in California Classic, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas Summer League starting Friday.

NBA Experiments With G League's one free-throw rule starting July 3...

The NBA announced Thursday it will experiment with a “one free-throw rule” during the upcoming Summer League games. The change is designed to make games move faster.

With this rule, any foul that normally leads to one, two, or three free throws under current NBA rules will instead result in just a single free throw attempt.

That single free throw will be worth the same total points as the multiple attempts it replaces. 

However, the last two minutes of regulation and any overtime periods will still use the NBA’s normal free-throw format. 

The G League has been using the one free-throw rule since the 2019-20 season as a way to “improve game flow.” 

It’s unclear if the NBA will adopt it for regular-season play, but the league has a history of testing changes like coaches’ challenges in the G League and Summer League before rolling them out league-wide.

Summer League runs July 3-19 and features all 30 teams. Rosters are made up of rookies, second-year players, and G League prospects. 

The California Classic tips off first, with seven teams playing in San Francisco and Sacramento from Friday to Monday. 

Four teams will play in the Salt Lake City Summer League from Saturday through Tuesday. Then all 30 teams head to Las Vegas for the main event from July 9-19. 

The one free throw rule will be tested at the upcoming NBA summer leagues.

With this rule, any foul that would typically result in one, two or three free throws under standard NBA rules will instead result in a single free throw attempt. That attempt will be worth the same… pic.twitter.com/tFiOpJLnQW

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 2, 2026

Games this year will also feature a “connected” basketball with a built-in sensor. The NBA says the ball will collect data that could be used later for officiating, including on last-touch out-of-bounds plays.

It’s unclear if the NBA will adopt it for regular-season play, but the league has a history of testing changes like coaches’ challenges in the G League and Summer League before rolling them out league-wide.