High School Basketball Eliminates 1-and-1 Free Throws, Alters Foul Limit to Reach Bonus

One-and-ones are done in high school basketball.

Beginning next school year, high school basketball teams — including those in Montana — will shoot two free throws for common fouls when in the “bonus” instead of having to make the first free throw to get a second after seven fouls.

Rules changes were approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations’ (NFHS) basketball rules committee, then by the NFHS board of directors. The NFHS announced the changes on May 23, 2023.

In addition to awarding two foul shots for all common fouls, teams will reach the bonus when their opponent commits five fouls in each quarter and team fouls will reset at the end of each quarter. The old rules awarded the one-and-one bonus when an opponent committed seven fouls in a half and two foul shots when 10 fouls were committed each half.

Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports, said in a statement that the rules committee studied data that showed higher injury rates on rebounding situations, so it seized as an opportunity to reduce opportunities for rough play. Atkinson also believes that resetting the fouls each quarter will improve game flow.