NBA & NCAA rulebooks, 2025–26
What's the rule on that?
Ask it the way you'd ask your partner at halftime. RefChat looks it up in the NBA or NCAA rulebook, tells you which rule and section covers it, and pulls up real plays the league graded so you can see how it actually gets called.
Try:
Free to try. It's a study tool, so your rulebook and your assignor still have the final say.
Knicks 108, Hawks 105 · Turnover: Traveling
Brunson (NYK) establishes his right foot as his pivot foot, which he moves after his gather.
- plays the NBA graded last season
- 8,016
- of those, the league said the refs got wrong
- 409
- rulebook sections it searches
- 316
- of cited rules matched its sources in our last check*
- 92.6%
How it works
It's basically a rulebook you can talk to.
1
You ask
Ask it like you would another ref. Something like "was that a travel?" works fine. You don't need to know the rule number.
2
It reads the book
It goes through 316 sections of the NBA and NCAA rulebooks and puts the ones that matter for your question at the top.
3
You get the rule
Each point in the answer cites a rule and section, and you'll see NBA plays that match when there are some. If the book doesn't cover your question, it'll tell you.
Here's an actual answer
Someone asked about the gather step, and this is part of what RefChat said back. I cut it down so it fits here, but I didn't change any of the wording. The rules it cites are the ones it found in the rulebook, and the play at the bottom is from a real Raptors-76ers game.
Traveling: explain the gather step
The “gather” is the anchor point for counting steps in a traveling call. Everything about legal steps flows from when the gather occurs, so identifying it correctly is the key officiating skill.
Once you’ve pinned the gather, the step count follows Rule 10, Section XIII(b):
- A player who gathers while progressing may take two steps to stop, pass, or shoot.
- First step: when a foot (or both feet) touches the floor after the gather.
- Second step: when the other foot, or both feet simultaneously, then touch the floor.
So the gather itself is not counted as a step — it’s the reference point, and the two allowed steps come after it.
Sources
- Rule 4, Section III (The Gather)p. 17
- Rule 10, Section XIII (Traveling)p. 37
- Rule 4, Section VIII (Pivot)p. 19
Barnes (TOR) establishes his right foot as his pivot foot and he moves his pivot foot after his gather. The travel occurs prior to any contact from Bona (PHI).
The NBA grades its refs
After close games, the league puts out a report on every call and non-call in the last two minutes and says whether the refs got it right. RefChat has 8,016 of those plays from 411 games last season, and brings up the relevant ones when you ask a question. Here are a few from the playoffs.
- Jun 3, 2026Q4 0:39.3Incorrect non-call
Knicks 105, Spurs 95 · Foul: Shooting
Vassell (SAS) steps forward toward Brunson (NYK) after Brunson has started his shooting motion.
- Jun 3, 2026Q4 1:11.0Correct call
Knicks 105, Spurs 95 · Foul: Shooting
Fox (SAS) makes contact with Bridges' (NYK) arm, which affects his jump shot attempt.
- May 19, 2026Q4 1:08.2Incorrect non-call
Knicks 115, Cavaliers 104 (OT) · Foul: Offensive
Mobley (CLE) extends his elbow outward and delivers contact to Shamet's (NYK) head/face during the pick.
- May 18, 2026OT 1:08.2Incorrect call
Spurs 122, Thunder 115 (2OT) · Out-of-Bounds
Caruso's (OKC) right foot lands out of bounds while he is in contact with the ball. Possession should have been awarded to the Spurs.
- Jun 3, 2026Q4 1:58Correct non-call
Knicks 105, Spurs 95 · Foul: Shooting
Fox (SAS) legally contests Anunoby's (NYK) jump shot attempt.
- Apr 20, 2026Q4 0:05.6Incorrect non-call
Hawks 107, Knicks 106 · Violation: Lane
Bridges (NYK) steps inside the arc prior to the release of the free throw.
Source: NBA Last Two Minute reports, 2026 playoffs.
Who it's for
Refs
Check a rule before you head to the gym, or quiz yourself during the week. Questions you get wrong are saved so you can go back over them.
Refs in training
If you're getting ready for a camp or moving up a level, it helps to know where each rule actually lives in the book. Every answer gives you the page.
Fans
Think the ref blew it? Look it up. Sometimes you'll be right, and sometimes the rule says something you didn't expect.
Who made this
Hi, I'm Patrick. I'm a student manager for Drexel Women's Basketball, and I made RefChat because I wanted a faster way to look up a rule than scrolling through a PDF. I'm still working on it, so if you find something wrong or missing, email me at patrick@patrickmelan.com.
Got a rule question?
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