How many seconds does an NBA team have to take a shot that hits the rim?

An NBA team has 24 seconds to take a shot that hits the rim. This countdown is the league’s shot clock, and the attempt must leave the shooter’s hand before time expires; the ball does not necessarily have to enter the basket.

The NBA adopted the 24-second shot clock for the 1954–55 season after games had become slowed by deliberate stalling. Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone and general manager Leo Ferris helped develop the figure by dividing the 48-minute game into roughly 120 total shot attempts: 2,880 seconds divided by 120 equals 24.

A shot that hits the rim generally resets the clock to 14 seconds if the same team regains possession. A missed shot that completely misses the rim does not reset it, so the offense must continue playing with whatever time remains. The clock also stops during fouls, violations, timeouts, and other dead-ball situations.

The 24-second rule is specific to the NBA, although many professional leagues use the same limit. College basketball uses a different shot-clock length.