The game we love that is played on the courts of the NBA has many important regulations.
One of the most crucial ones is how many players on an NBA team can there be.
In the NBA, teams are allowed to have 15 players signed on a roster, 12 active and 3 inactive ones.
But there are many hooks and subquestions to this topic, so stay along!
Do NBA Teams Always Fill Out Their Number of Players Limit?
The number of players signed allowed on an NBA team roster has changed throughout the years but from 2005 teams can sign up to 15 players – 12 active and 3 inactive.
The same rules apply to every NBA team’s playoff roster.
But not every team uses the full potential of this benefit.
Most teams choose to carry fewer than 15 players since they are only allowed a certain amount of salary cap space each year.
For example, during the 2020-2021 season, 24 out of 30 teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, had fewer than 15 players on their active rosters.
Active vs. Inactive Players on NBA Rosters
The difference between active and inactive basketball players is simple.
The only difference is that inactive players are not allowed to participate in a game.
It can be caused by injury, suspension, mental health issues, or simply not sufficient level of basketball for a particular game.
Inactive players are paid the full amount in their contract and don’t fall under some other rules.
NBA Two-Way Players
In the 2017-18 NBA Season, the two-way contracts were introduced.
They allow players from the G League to make an appearance in the NBA.
The player signed under that contract was primarily placed in the G League affiliate of the specific team.
For example, The South Bay Lakers are directly connected to the Los Angeles Lakers.
How many basketball players can there be on the court at once in an NBA game?
In NBA games each team has to play 5 of their players every second of the game.
This is a fundamental rule across every level of the sport, so it applies also in the NBA playoffs, G League, NCAA, and any other basketball team.
How many players are there in the NBA?
There are 30 NBA teams in the league and in theory, each one of them is allowed to sign 15 players for an active roster.
In reality, there are far more than 450 players that make at least one appearance in an NBA season because of the constant roster changes.
The number of players in recent NBA regular season with at least one appearance:
- 2020-21 Season: 540
- 2019-20 Season: 529
- 2018-19 Season: 530
- 2017-18 Season: 540 (Introduction of the two-way contracts)
- 2016-17 Season: 486
- 2015-16 Season: 476
- 2014-15 Season: 492
How Many Basketball Players Are Allowed On An Active Roster In College?
In college basketball, teams are limited to having 15 players on their official roster for financial reasons.
However, some rules govern how many of those players can be eligible to participate in a given contest.
For example, in Division I Men’s Basketball, the minimum number of players is 10 eligible scholarship athletes available for each basketball game or face a penalty from the NCAA.
How Many Players In The FIBA World Cup?
The national teams are allowed to have 12 players on their active roster, including one naturalized basketball player.
How Many Players In Basketball Are There In The World?
It is estimated that there are 75,000-150,000 basketball players, of which, half are semi-professional.
450 million people around the world play basketball as amateurs.
Where Is Basketball The Most Popular?
Basketball is, with no surprise, beloved in the USA, where the most famous NBA players and NBA teams are from.
Second place belongs to the Philippines where people are going crazy about the sport and being a part of a basketball team roster is the highest honor.
Third is Canada which produces many players that make it to the NBA teams.
They are home to the 2019 NBA Champions Toronto Raptors who defeated the Golden State Warriors to win it all.
Final Words
The number of basketball players varies throughout different competitions.
NBA teams, national team roster, or college active roster all have minor rule tweaks to themself.
NBA team, like the San Antonio Spurs, can have the most active players out of all because of the longest and most intense schedule out there.
