# Why is the word BONUS beneath a score?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-word-bonus-beneath-a-score/687084>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 27, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-word-bonus-beneath-a-score/687084 "2014-04-27T00:06:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MizQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@MizQuirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizQuirk)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-word-bonus-beneath-a-score/687084/1 "2014-04-27T00:06:07Z")

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Obviously I don’t see much basketball these days, and the game has changed since I used to watch it fairly early in the last millenium. In a game that was just on TV, at one point the word BONUS was beneath one team’s score and later it was under each team’s score. What is that all about, please?

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-word-bonus-beneath-a-score/687084/2 "2014-04-27T00:26:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> In the sport of basketball, the bonus situation (also called the penalty situation) occurs when one team accumulates a requisite number of fouls, which number varies depending on the level of play. When one team has committed the requisite number of fouls, each subsequent foul results in the opposing team’s taking free throws regardless of the type of foul committed (i.e., whether or not the foul was a shooting foul).

from [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_%28basketball%29)

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**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-word-bonus-beneath-a-score/687084/3 "2014-04-27T00:58:25Z")

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There is also a Double bonus, which means that, when a team has accumulated enough fouls, for each subsequent foul they commit, the opposing team gets to make 2 free throws instead of one (as is the case in the Bonus).

Before a team is in Bonus, a foul will only result in free throws if the foul was committed on a player that was attempting to make a basket.

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**Author:** ![MizQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@MizQuirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizQuirk)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-word-bonus-beneath-a-score/687084/4 "2014-04-29T02:49:15Z")

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Okay, many thanks to you both. I’ve got to start remembering to look into places like Wikipedia first.