Is dunking allowed in college basketball?
James Craig
Published Jan 09, 2026
Now there is the Lew Alcindor Rule. College basketball's rules makers decided last week that players may no longer "dunk" or "stuff" the ball by ramming it through the hoop from directly above. The no-dunking rule was frankly aimed at Alcindor, the 7-ft.
Is dunking banned in the NCAA?
Dunking was banned in the NCAA and high school sports from 1967 to 1976.
Can college basketball players dunk?
Lew Alcindor, who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, dominated his opponents because he was a master of this move. To limit the player's dominance, the NCAA banned the slam dunk from 1967 to 1976. The invention of Basketball took place in very interesting circumstances.
When did college basketball allow the dunk?
“The dunk was reinstated in college ball in 1976, but I was already dunking in the NBA.” (Alcindor won three NCAA championships during his three seasons at UCLA; in two of those seasons, the team didn't attempt a single dunk.)
When did the NCAA ban dunking?
They won the first three of their record seven straight national championships. However, a ban on dunking imposed in 1966 forced the big man to get creative with his offensive repertoire.
44 related questions foundHow many dunks does Steph Curry have?
Looking at Stephen Curry's dunk statistics
He has a total of 26 dunks in his 13-year career and the last time he did so was in the 2018-19 season.
What counts as a dunk?
A slam dunk, also dunk or dunk shot, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball(s) above the horizontal plane of the rim, and guides the ball(s) downward through the basket with one or both hands contacting the rim.
Do you have to touch the rim to dunk?
Many times, players opt to go up for a dunk but gently put the ball in the basket without touching the rim. Also not a dunk. If you remove your hands at the last second, that's called a layup, although Merriam-Webster defines a dunk simply as “throwing the ball into the basket from above the rim.” Not so.
Who made dunking famous?
Julius Erving
He could take a difficult layup and do it without effort. This translated to his dunks and he quickly became known as the “Father of Dunking”. He was one of the first stars in the league that primarily played above the rim, paving the way for players like MJ, LeBron, and Dominique.
Can you dunk a free throw?
In 1956, in response to reports that Wilt Chamberlain was able to dunk free throws, the NCAA established a rule requiring that free-throw shooters keep both feet behind the free-throw line during an attempt. The NBA later adopted this rule.
Who dunked first in NBA?
In the 1940s, Bob Kurland was a major part of Henry Iba's Oklahoma A&M teams that won two NCAA titles in 1945 and 1946, and his play altered the course of hoops forever.
Who did the first dunk ever?
In fact, dunking — the most efficient, and arguably most exciting shot in basketball — is about 56 years older than Zion himself. In 1944, college basketball saw its first-ever dunk, when Oklahoma A&M's Bob "Foothills" Kurland dunked by accident.
Can you dunk in college warmups?
But perhaps the least important -- and best -- rule change of all: PLAYERS CAN NOW DUNK IN PREGAME WARMUPS WOOOOOOOOOO. There was no good reason for the rule preventing dunks in warmups. It wasn't a matter of player safety: If dunks were particularly dangerous, they'd be outlawed in games in addition to before them.
What is the longest dunk ever?
Mikey Williams Dunks On Flight, Sets World Record For Longest Dunk (3 Hours) - YouTube.
Who has the highest dunk?
Michael Wilson is a former player of the Harlem Globetrotters, the Memphis Grizzles and the University of Memphis, also known as 'Wild Thing'. Wilson, 6'5, holds the world record for the highest dunk.
Can all NBA players dunk?
While not all players might be able to dunk while playing a game, most players can at least pull off a dunk after some preparation. In a league where the average height of a player is 6'7'', most NBA players are efficient at pulling off a dunk.
Does dunking hurt?
Dunking is painful. There is a consequence for slamming one's hands, wrists and forearms against the rim. Falling from the sky takes its toll on the knees, endangers the ankles. That's not to mention the vulnerability of just being up so high.
Who is the shortest person to dunk?
More videos on YouTube
Of course, the best-known short NBA player to make fancy dunks is none other than Spud Webb. Spud Webb is only 5'7” tall and one of the shortest players in NBA history as well.
Is it harder to dunk off 1 or 2 feet?
Developing a one-handed dunk requires less vertical ability than a two-handed dunk, and, for most players, jumping off of one foot from a running start makes it easier to jump high enough to dunk. There are many things that you can do to work on your vertical leap.
What is a tomahawk dunk?
Basketball. A shot made by jumping high into the air and pushing the ball through the basket with a sharp downward motion, thought to resemble a blow made with a tomahawk.
Do you have to palm a basketball to dunk?
Simple answer: Jump Higher.
You don't need to palm a basketball to dunk it; you just need to be high enough over the rim to throw it down.
Can female basketball players dunk?
By reducing the height of the rim, to 9-feet rather than 10-feet, more WNBA players would be able to dunk on the rim. WNBA players are already the best female basketball players in the world and the reduction in rim height would benefit the league by allowing more players to reach the rim and complete a dunk.
Can Steve Nash dunk?
Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers
Not being able to dunk hasn't hindered Steve Nash at all during a 17-year NBA career. Nash managed to win back-to-back MVP awards with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.
What height can dunk?
Standard: 6 feet 1inch – 6 feet 3 inches
This height allows you to dunk comfortably without having to go through too much vertical jump training. Many NFL football players are at this height, and they prove that they can jump better than basketball players.