# ABA (basketball) question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 27, 2001, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478 "2001-04-27T02:01:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478/1 "2001-04-27T02:01:10Z")

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Somebody has probably asked this before, but I couldn’t find it when I did my search, so I’m asking it now.

The American Basketball Association (ABA) had a weird foul rule - something about six fouls, and some sort of special penalty. I remember that much, but I don’t remember what it was exactly. Anybody know?

Also, I heard there was a good history of the ABA put out six or seven years ago, does anyone know what it is (was)?

TV

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478/2 "2001-04-27T03:27:16Z")

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From [http://www.idocs.com/tags/forms/index\_famsupp\_157.html](http://www.idocs.com/tags/forms/index_famsupp_157.html)

> [@](#):
>
> … one other interesting difference in the ABA’s last season was that the ABA had no foul-out rule. When a player committed his sixth personal foul, he could stay in the game. However, subsequent fouls by that particular player resulted in two free throws plus possession of the ball for the opposing team.

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478/3 "2001-04-27T03:29:24Z")

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Damn. Wrong link. Try this one:

[http://www.geocities.com/~arthurh/ABAGeneralInfo/ABAFaq.html#ABARules](http://www.geocities.com/~arthurh/ABAGeneralInfo/ABAFaq.html#ABARules)

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478/4 "2001-04-27T05:27:17Z")

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The good book to find is “Loose Balls” by Terry Pluto.

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**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478/5 "2001-04-27T11:45:02Z")

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I hate to bump this but I do want to thank you both for answering my questions.

TV

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478/6 "2001-04-27T12:04:17Z")

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What was the ABA’s three-to-make-two foul shot rule, then? Sort of a one-and-one for slow learners?

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**Author:** ![lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/58f4c7/32.png) [@lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizzy)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aba-basketball-question/63478/7 "2001-04-27T12:15:52Z")

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you had 3 trys two make 2 freethrows on a shooting violation. If you missed all 3 it was called a “hat trick”