Rule makers planning to make NCAA men's basketball even more fan-friendly

[Col. Bleep]

30 second shot clock good idea.
And get rid of replay review for everything except clock resets.

But let's get crazy?
Award 1 point for getting turnovers in the last 2 minutes of each half.
Imagine the frenzy.
And 1 point for forcing a 10 second violation any time.
Imagine how that would encourage full court pressure.

Imagine how radically different the game would be...awarding points for defense.

 

[Cowtown]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rule-m...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Consider FIBA ball:

• Trapezoid shaped lane
• No live ball timeouts; two in the first half, 3 in the second; 1 in OT, no roll-overs. All timeouts are 60 seconds, period.
  
• 8 seconds to cross half-court; the only full reset in the backcourt is when a defensive foul is committed. For example, if the defense checks the ball out in the back court 6 seconds into the count, you have two seconds remaining to get it over
• 24 second shot clock; non-shooting fouls above 14 seconds, the shot clock stays; under 14, it comes back up to 14; same rule applies to kicked balls; no reset on a held ball when awarded to the offense
  
• there is no "continuation."
• the ball may not be passed into the backcourt by the offensive team on an inbounds pass from the front court (there ya go, VT, and it bugs the out of me too that it's allowed in NCAA)
  
• basket on an "offensive" foul counts if the ball left the shooter's hand before the contact; technically it's not an offensive foul, it's just a pushing foul; it's the same idea as on a last shot - ball is released, horn sounds, it counts if it goes; also same idea with shot clock; it's consistent in all three scenarios
• After a player fouls out, there is a "reasonable time" to replace him; the rule of thumb is 20 seconds. No more "default automatic time-out."

The real big problem with the time taken to play televised games is the TV timeouts, which add about a half hour to the total game time. I don't see a solution to that coming any time soon.

 

[PoppyHart]

Consider FIBA ball:

• Trapezoid shaped lane
• No live ball timeouts; two in the first half, 3 in the second; 1 in OT, no roll-overs. All timeouts are 60 seconds, period.
  
• 8 seconds to cross half-court; the only full reset in the backcourt is when a defensive foul is committed. For example, if the defense checks the ball out in the back court 6 seconds into the count, you have two seconds remaining to get it over
• 24 second shot clock; non-shooting fouls above 14 seconds, the shot clock stays; under 14, it comes back up to 14; same rule applies to kicked balls; no reset on a held ball when awarded to the offense
  
• there is no "continuation."
• the ball may not be passed into the backcourt by the offensive team on an inbounds pass from the front court (there ya go, VT, and it bugs the out of me too that it's allowed in NCAA)
  
• basket on an "offensive" foul counts if the ball left the shooter's hand before the contact; technically it's not an offensive foul, it's just a pushing foul; it's the same idea as on a last shot - ball is released, horn sounds, it counts if it goes; also same idea with shot clock; it's consistent in all three scenarios

The real big problem with the time taken to play televised games is the TV timeouts, which add about a half hour to the total game time. I don't see a solution to that coming any time soon.

The asinine clock, elbow, possession, shot clock review calls take up just as much time and it's trending worse.

 

[longtimefan]

Consider FIBA ball:

• Trapezoid shaped lane
• No live ball timeouts; two in the first half, 3 in the second; 1 in OT, no roll-overs. All timeouts are 60 seconds, period.
  
• 8 seconds to cross half-court; the only full reset in the backcourt is when a defensive foul is committed. For example, if the defense checks the ball out in the back court 6 seconds into the count, you have two seconds remaining to get it over
• 24 second shot clock; non-shooting fouls above 14 seconds, the shot clock stays; under 14, it comes back up to 14; same rule applies to kicked balls; no reset on a held ball when awarded to the offense
  
• there is no "continuation."
• the ball may not be passed into the backcourt by the offensive team on an inbounds pass from the front court (there ya go, VT, and it bugs the out of me too that it's allowed in NCAA)
  
• basket on an "offensive" foul counts if the ball left the shooter's hand before the contact; technically it's not an offensive foul, it's just a pushing foul; it's the same idea as on a last shot - ball is released, horn sounds, it counts if it goes; also same idea with shot clock; it's consistent in all three scenarios

The real big problem with the time taken to play televised games is the TV timeouts, which add about a half hour to the total game time. I don't see a solution to that coming any time soon.

No more trapezoid in FIBA.

 

[Cowtown]

No more trapezoid in FIBA.

Not sure where you got that from, ltf, as I ref in FIBA and we play that lane all across the country up here. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we've changed a few times between FIBA and NCAA, and some gyms weren't always immediately current with the changes? For what it's worth, FIBA rules are adjusted/modified/changed at 4 year intervals, to coincide with the Olympics - as in, everyone has 4 years to get used to the last round of changes so there are no complaints when the Olympics are held. But to the best of my knowledge, they've always had the trapezoid. It's possible it may come out in favor of the NBA width in the future, but that won't be until 2016.

 

[Toga]

I want to see this change. Once you get the ball across the half-court line, at no point can you then go back over that line unless the ball is touched by the opponent. All inbounds plays that get tossed from out of bounds into the backcourt are backcourt violations.

Wasn't it that way many years ago? And I totally agree.

 

[Cowtown]

The asinine clock, elbow, possession, shot clock review calls take up just as much time and it's trending worse.

I agree completely with that, PH. It began with the ability to go to the video replay if you were unsure, but now they default to it in almost every possible situation. I think the big problem again there is television. The producers and announcers replay and dissect the call almost immediately in full public view. And the referees have no opportunity to explain their interpretations, and the TV crews just make them all look bad so much of the time. So now in the last two minutes they blow the whistle and head for the TV monitor. It's freaking awful. I think it was in the Wisconsin semi that we spent 4 minutes just to go with the original call? JM&J.

The whole elbow thing is PC gone right out of control. Yes, I'm completely in favor of safety for the kids. And if some one gets popped, then let's have a look. But spending 3 and 4 minutes trying to decide if a glancing contact was a "flagrant foul" is utter BS. Kids need to learn this, "Don't play defense with your face." The current interpretation rewards kids for doing precisely that. It makes me want to just scream.

And never has so much time been devoted to something so inconsequential as the GD shot clock. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've had to stop play and adjust the shot clock from 16 seconds back to 18, say, and then after the ball comes in the first kid jacks it right away.

 

[SmilinBob]

The charge rules annoy the heck out of me. You beat your guy and someone else is standing in the way and often moving as well. I get the charge for the guy covering you but this other guy should just play help out D and not just stand there and cause all kinds of confusion by the refs. This flop crap has got to go. It has decided too many games.

As for the elbow thing like what happened to Coney...just totally ridiculous.

30 second clock is more than ample and move the 3 point shot back to the NBA.

I never understood the non over and back call out of an out of bounds play. To me, it's like when the guy can't move his feet when he is taking the ball out compared to when the other team scores a basket...why change the rule? You made it over the line and the defense deflected the ball or made some kind of play to knock the ball out of bounds...why should they be punished and the offense rewarded by being able to use the whole court again on the inbounds?

 

[Dave85]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rule-m...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Among the rules being discussed.
• Widening the lane.
• An elimination of live-ball timeouts, or at least limiting those calls to players instead of coaches. This would be a move toward FIBA international rules, which allow no live-ball timeouts.
• Revisiting the 10-second backcourt rule, which currently allows a bailout for the offensive team if it calls timeout before passing midcourt.
• Reducing the shot clock to either 30 or 24 seconds. Brey said he is in favor, and there seems to be fairly wide support for a reduction of some kind – although there also is a concern about college hoops becoming an NBA copycat league. (Interestingly, Byrd said his Belmont team occasionally uses a 12-second shot clock in practice to force tempo and enhance conditioning.)
• An examination of the NBA's continuation rule, and whether it should be applied similarly in college. There was not much support in the meeting room for that idea.
• No scoring on a charge. Baskets off a charge are waved off in every level of basketball except college

The one I bolded is the most important one. I hope the shot clock is reduced to 30 seconds.

I wish the charge/blocking rules were clarified. One week against Duke it was called a charge. The next week at UVA it was called block. The only difference was the home team got the call to go their way. I just hate the interpretation part of the charge/block call. Referees can really change the outcome of a game. In almost every game I've watched it's called differently. I think the NCAA should have a video guide or something what is a "charge" and what is a "block". It really turns me off the way it is done now.

I have one more observation. You ever notice that in almost all basketball games, the losing teams says the officiating was awful!

 

[Dave85]

I like scoring on a charge if the ball is out of your hands. I don't feel a charge should be a offensive foul though just a turnover.

I also would like them to get rid of charges off a dish. If the ball is out of your hands no charge.

That's a good point. If the player had enough control to dish then they were not out-of-control on the drive.

 

[longtimefan]

Not sure where you got that from, ltf, as I ref in FIBA and we play that lane all across the country up here. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we've changed a few times between FIBA and NCAA, and some gyms weren't always immediately current with the changes? For what it's worth, FIBA rules are adjusted/modified/changed at 4 year intervals, to coincide with the Olympics - as in, everyone has 4 years to get used to the last round of changes so there are no complaints when the Olympics are held. But to the best of my knowledge, they've always had the trapezoid. It's possible it may come out in favor of the NBA width in the future, but that won't be until 2016.

Here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/jazzace/ace/hoop/rulediff.html

Although I have seen the trapezoid cited other places.

My recollection is that, perhaps during the last Olympics, it was mentioned that FIBA was adopting the NBA lane at some specific time in the future. (Maybe the next Olympics?)

 

[Dave85]

The charge rules annoy the heck out of me. You beat your guy and someone else is standing in the way and often moving as well. I get the charge for the guy covering you but this other guy should just play help out D and not just stand there and cause all kinds of confusion by the refs. This flop crap has got to go. It has decided too many games.

As for the elbow thing like what happened to Coney...just totally ridiculous.

30 second clock is more than ample and move the 3 point shot back to the NBA.

I never understood the non over and back call out of an out of bounds play. To me, it's like when the guy can't move his feet when he is taking the ball out compared to when the other team scores a basket...why change the rule? You made it over the line and the defense deflected the ball or made some kind of play to knock the ball out of bounds...why should they be punished and the offense rewarded by being able to use the whole court again on the inbounds?

I agree with you on the "flop" comment. The flop stuff has gone too far.

 

[SWC75]

The 24 second clock was designed for a 48 minute game. From Wikipedia:
"Given that professional basketball games lasted forty-eight minutes, Biasone divided 2880 (the number of seconds in forty-eight minutes) by 120 (the total number of shots taken per game when each team attempted sixty shots) and arrived at a figure he considered optimal: one shot every 24 seconds. "

But why not play 48 minutes games, with 12 minute quarters as the NBA does? SU vs. Wagner was a 60 minute football game, just like the Super Bowl. You want more scorng? That would do it- and coaches would have to play more players, which would be a good thing.

I think rules should be standardized: FIBA, NBA, NCAA high school- we should all be playing the same game.

 

[LennX6]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rule-m...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Among the rules being discussed.
• Widening the lane.
• An elimination of live-ball timeouts, or at least limiting those calls to players instead of coaches. This would be a move toward FIBA international rules, which allow no live-ball timeouts.
• Revisiting the 10-second backcourt rule, which currently allows a bailout for the offensive team if it calls timeout before passing midcourt.
• Reducing the shot clock to either 30 or 24 seconds. Brey said he is in favor, and there seems to be fairly wide support for a reduction of some kind – although there also is a concern about college hoops becoming an NBA copycat league. (Interestingly, Byrd said his Belmont team occasionally uses a 12-second shot clock in practice to force tempo and enhance conditioning.)
• An examination of the NBA's continuation rule, and whether it should be applied similarly in college. There was not much support in the meeting room for that idea.
• No scoring on a charge. Baskets off a charge are waved off in every level of basketball except college

The one I bolded is the most important one. I hope the shot clock is reduced to 30 seconds.

Here is one I am surprised I have not seen proposed:
When an inbounding team rolls the ball inbounds to push the ball to halfcourt without the clock starting, change the rule to have that count against the 5 sec count to inbounds.

 

[SWC75]

Here is one I am surprised I have not seen proposed:
When an inbounding team rolls the ball inbounds to push the ball to halfcourt without the clock starting, change the rule to have that count against the 5 sec count to inbounds.

Or have the clock start when the ball hits the court or a player on it.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Seriously, there is the potential for as many as 18 timeouts in a single game. That is so ridiculous. Most coaches have a bunch of them left at the end of games, so any close game gets turned into a timeout fest at the end, which makes the viewing experience like watching paint dry.

They will never reduce the number of timeouts. too much money from sponsors says so.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

surprised there is no mention of moving the three point line back. spaces out the players. puts more emphasis on midrange shots which are, at the current 3 point distance, a stupid shot to attempt.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Don't need a new shot clock, just start the clock when the ball is grabbed by the in-bouding team.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I agree with you on the "flop" comment. The flop stuff has gone too far.

It's a really simple rule if they do it right. If the player has both feet planted (no leaning in, no sliding in, no falling back in anticipation of contact) - then it's a charge. If the player has begun his shooting motion and the ball is out of his hands, it's not a charge.

If the player initiates the contact - which is pretty easy to see, by lowering the shoulder to clear out space, by using his off arm to push off - then it's a charge. Case closed.

All they have to do is stop making calls on these borderline cases at all, and hopefully they would stop. It's the trying to legislate the borderline case that has caused all the problems.

Same thing on physical contact on the dribbler - bump the guy while he's dribbling the ball, it's a foul. Hold a guy with your hands while he's cutting through the lane, it's a foul.

And don't me started on moving picks! When is there a legitimate stationary pick anymore? Guys are shuffling their feat at the top of the key, trying to block and run interference for the guard. This is a huge problem. If you don't want to make it a personal foul, then make it a turnover, but call the moving pick!!

I also agree with the poster in this thread who said "what happened to loose ball fouls? When the ball goes on the floor, it's now a free for all and an open license to dive on the other player." That's a foul.

Geez, just call the fouls and the game would be so much better.

 

[longtimefan]

It's a really simple rule if they do it right. If the player has both feet planted (no leaning in, no sliding in, no falling back in anticipation of contact) - then it's a charge. If the player has begun his shooting motion and the ball is out of his hands, it's not a charge.

If the player initiates the contact - which is pretty easy to see, by lowering the shoulder to clear out space, by using his off arm to push off - then it's a charge. Case closed.

All they have to do is stop making calls on these borderline cases at all, and hopefully they would stop. It's the trying to legislate the borderline case that has caused all the problems.

Same thing on physical contact on the dribbler - bump the guy while he's dribbling the ball, it's a foul. Hold a guy with your hands while he's cutting through the lane, it's a foul.

And don't me started on moving picks! When is there a legitimate stationary pick anymore? Guys are shuffling their feat at the top of the key, trying to block and run interference for the guard. This is a huge problem. If you don't want to make it a personal foul, then make it a turnover, but call the moving pick!!

I also agree with the poster in this thread who said "what happened to loose ball fouls? When the ball goes on the floor, it's now a free for all and an open license to dive on the other player." That's a foul.

Geez, just call the fouls and the game would be so much better.

SI had a piece a couple of weeks ago proposing that secondary defenders not be allowed to plant themselves in the way of a driver at all. Any contact with the offensive player by a "statue" defender would automatically be a block. The help defender would still be allowed to make a legitimate defensive "basketball play"--e.g., stripping the ball or blocking a shot.

No more flopping. I like it.

 

[OttoMets]

SI had a piece a couple of weeks ago proposing that secondary defenders not be allowed to plant themselves in the way of a driver at all. Any contact with the offensive player by a "statue" defender would automatically be a block. The help defender would still be allowed to make a legitimate defensive "basketball play"--e.g., stripping the ball or blocking a shot.

No more flopping. I like it.

Isn't that already the rule? And isn't that why Rodney Hood's non-defense of Fair made for such an egregious charge call?

 

[longtimefan]

Isn't that already the rule? And isn't that why Rodney Hood's non-defense of Fair made for such an egregious charge call?

I think they still allow you to plant and stand, as long as you get there soon enough.

 

[RandygoCuse]

The 24 second clock was designed for a 48 minute game. From Wikipedia:
"Given that professional basketball games lasted forty-eight minutes, Biasone divided 2880 (the number of seconds in forty-eight minutes) by 120 (the total number of shots taken per game when each team attempted sixty shots) and arrived at a figure he considered optimal: one shot every 24 seconds. "

But why not play 48 minutes games, with 12 minute quarters as the NBA does? SU vs. Wagner was a 60 minute football game, just like the Super Bowl. You want more scorng? That would do it- and coaches would have to play more players, which would be a good thing.

I think rules should be standardized: FIBA, NBA, NCAA high school- we should all be playing the same game.

Maybe the NBA game should be reduced to 40 minutes.

 

[OttoMets]

I think they still allow you to plant and stand, as long as you get there soon enough.

OK. Then that'd be a good change. (If they enforce it, of course.)

 

[SWC75]

Maybe the NBA game should be reduced to 40 minutes.

Not bad. The players might play with more consistent energy and have more left over for the playoffs. And how about adopting MLB's technique of scheduling series- and you don't have to play everybody. Focus on intra-conference games. How about the Boston coming down to New York this week to play the Knicks in a three game series? That would be a better way to market their product than for it to be one game and then the Knicks are off to Phoenix.