The referee can use alternating possession
Under FIBA’s 2026 five-on-five rules, a held-ball situation does not necessarily produce another centre jump. Alternating possession supplies a throw-in for jump-ball situations. The arrow records the team entitled to that turn; it is not a continuously changing sign for whichever team is currently attacking.
That distinction helps when joining a broadcast halfway through a quarter. A team can have the ball on court while the arrow belongs to the other team. Watch the actual restart after the whistle before assuming that a television graphic has awarded the ball to the wrong side.
Follow the complete throw-in
Article 12 points the arrow towards the entitled team’s opponents’ basket. It reverses when the alternating-possession throw-in ends. Its timing belongs to that restart rather than to the instant the preceding held ball was called.
Imagine a broadcast cutting from the referee to a close-up while the thrower still waits. A viewer seeing the arrow before and after the cut may be comparing different moments. The useful sequence is the decision, the throw-in and its completion. A still image taken between them cannot show the whole procedure.
A foul and a violation have different effects
FIBA distinguishes the team’s violation during its alternating-possession throw-in from a foul during that throw-in. The violation loses the team’s turn and reverses the arrow; the foul does not itself remove the entitlement. Both can interrupt the restart, but they are different decisions.
For a disputed clip, retain the referee’s signal and the subsequent announcement. Saying only that the whistle sounded again leaves out the distinction the rule needs. Comparing team colours in two screenshots cannot replace the action omitted between them.
Keep the edition with the match
This explanation uses the FIBA documents effective from 1 October 2026. It is not an account of a particular match or an automatic interpretation of every basketball competition. A replay from another season or rule code needs its own context.
A clear question names the competition, date, quarter, clock reading and whether the restart was identified as alternating possession. Those details let another viewer find the same passage and see which decision followed. The arrow is one part of that sequence.
Questions answered
Does the arrow identify the team currently dribbling?
No. It identifies the entitlement to an alternating-possession throw-in.
Should the arrow reverse at every whistle?
No. The specific restart and ruling matter; a foul and a throw-in violation have different effects.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.