Reach-In Foul

A reach-in foul in basketball is a type of personal foul in which a player intends to grab, poke or touch the ball that an opposition player is holding, whilst either impeding their movements or making illegal contact with them. Reach-in fouls are notoriously hard to spot due to the speed in which they usually occur, and are often called after match officials view a slow motion replay repeatedly.

Reach-In Fouls in Basketball

As reach-in fouls are quite hard to identify, there are a few scenarios in which they are most common. Looking out for them in these kinds of scenarios makes them easier to spot when they occur.

• Reach-in fouls are commonly found when a player is aggressively attempting to steal a ball. This can often be seen during moments when the ball handler refuses to give up the ball and another player attempts to steal it.
• Players trying to quickly remove the ball from a handler by poking or otherwise impeding on their person may risk a reach-in foul.