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SoCalHoops College News Report

NCAA Announces Basketball
Rules Changes--(June 11, 1998)

The NCAA announced yesterday that basketball, previously played with a round ball, will henceforth be played with an oblong spheroid, outside on a field approximately 100 yards long. Players will be required to wear helmets to prevent rebounding injuries, and uniforms will be padded. The rim itself will now be affixed to goal posts, and each basket will count for six points; after each made basket, the scoring team will get to try for an "extra point" by shooting a free-throw while the opposing team "rushes" the shooter.

Just checking to see if you're still paying attention.

Actually, several real rules changes were announced yesterday, including one that will reward a team whose defensive skills force "held-ball" situations. Under the new rule, it doesn't matter which way the possession arrow is pointing at the time, the defense will get the ball when one of its players forces a held ball. The ball will be awarded at the closest designated spot to where the held ball occurred.

Last week, the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee approved that change and others during its annual meeting at Isle of Palms, S.C. The rules were officially announced yesterday by the NCAA.

One factor compelling the move toward a change in the "held ball" rule was Kentucky's 86-85 overtime victory over Stanford in the semifinals of this year's national championships. Stanford forced a held ball late in the game, but Kentucky retained the ball on the possession arrow; had the new rule been in effect, it's quite possible that Stanford could have won the game. The alternate-possession rule still would apply in situations in which the defense didn't cause the held ball, such as if players from each team simultaneously knocked a ball out of bounds.

Obviously this change rewards good defense. Previously, a team could force the held ball and if the possession arrow was pointing the other way, the only penalty for the offense was that the 35-second shot clock did not reset. The new rule actually rewards the defense for forcing a held ball, and actually is better in some cases than a steal, because it allows the offense time to set up if needed.

ESPN's Dan Bonner writes that "it will be interesting to see how the new rule will be interpreted. Are there any situations when the defense would not force a held ball? If a player dribbles the ball off his foot and a scramble for the loose ball ensues ultimately ending in a held-ball situation, which team gets the ball? There will be some discussion about that."

There were a bunch of other permanent rules changes announced yesterday:

Basket interference will be called if a player pulls down a movable basket rim and it touches the ball before returning to its original position. Previously, there was no specific rule for that situation.

When a double personal foul is called, the ball will be awarded to the team that was in possession. There will be no change in the possession arrow, and the shot clock will not be reset. Previously, possession was determined by the arrow.

New provisions in the uniforms rule require jerseys to be a single color from the base of the neck to the bottom. Undershirts must be similar to the jersey color, and sleeves must be the same length and not have frayed or ragged edges.

The rule also limits how close names and decorations may be placed to jersey numbers.

The experimental rule on shortening televised games will be used only in designated games. Full-length television timeouts will be called at the first dead ball after the 16-, 12-, 8- and 4-minute marks in each half. Teams would have five timeouts of 30 seconds each. The first called by either team would be extended to a full timeout. Each team would be able to carry four of the shortened timeouts into the second half.

Other experimental rules:

The first free throw lane space will be moved 10 inches farther from the basket. The rule is designed to cut down on rough lane play in free-throw situations.

In designated games, the shot clock will be extended from 35 to 45 seconds.

And in case you want to read the actual text of the NCAA rules change announcment, here it is:

NCAA MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RULES COMMITTEES APPROVE CHANGES

The NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee addressed held-ball situations created by the defense, while the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee formulated plans for an educational program for officials on clock management during the committees' annual meetings, held in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, June 4-7.

With the men's committee's change, held-ball situations initiated by the defense will result in possession being awarded to the defensive team at the closest designated spot to where the held ball occurred. Previously, possession on such a play was determined by the direction of the possession arrow. Alternate-possession situations not initiated by the defense, such as a live ball becoming lodged on a basket support or players from different teams simultaneously knocking a loose ball out of bounds, will continue to be governed by direction of the possession arrow.

"The committee feels that this change will reward outstanding defensive plays that in the past went unrewarded if the possession arrow belonged to the offense," said Herb Kenny, director of athletics at Wesleyan University (Connecticut) and chair of the men's committee.

Although not a rules change, the women's committee's major issue was clock management by officials. Under the committee's plan, this educational program will include officials' communication with the scorer's table at the end of games.

"Attention will be given to the role of game management, security and, in games in which an alternate referee is present, the role of that individual," said Marcy Weston, senior associate director of athletics at Central Michigan University and secretary-rules editor for the women's committee. "The program will center on what the officials should do if they determine that a problem exists in the last few seconds of a game.

"In such a case," Weston said, "the referee will go to the scorer's table and remain at the table until the situation is remedied and the final score is approved. Review of the television monitor and information available from the scorer's table personnel can be used in making this determination.

"The unfortunate situation at the end of the UCLA vs. Alabama game in the Division I Women's Basketball Championship second round in March clearly suggested to the committee the need for fine-tuning of the clock management procedures," she said. "This is the appropriate process for addressing issues of this nature."

Both committees passed common rules on basket interference, double personal fouls, and team-jersey design.

The first change is that a movable basket ring pulled down by a player and contacting the ball before the ring returns to its original position is basket interference. The ruling on such an occurrence was not clearly defined previously.

The next change is that when a double personal foul is called, the ball will be awarded to the team that was in possession when the foul was called. There will be no change in the possession arrow, nor will the shot clock be reset.

"This is essentially a do-over," Weston said.

Previously, possession was awarded by the direction of the possession arrow. When the arrow belonged to the defense and a double personal foul occurred, the defense was being rewarded for committing a foul, as if it had created a turnover. The goal of the uniform rules is to keep the area around the number unobstructed while allowing schools and manufacturers areas in which to be creative.

The men's committee also will recommend that all competitive rings be tested for rebound elasticity before each season and before postseason tournaments begin to ensure more equitable competition.

Both committees will forward experimental rules to the NCAA Division I Championships/ Competition Cabinet for approval at selected exempted events during the 1998-99 season.

The respective committees passed differing experimental rules dealing with rough play on the free throw lane. The men's committee recommended that exempted events move the first free throw lane space 10 inches farther from the basket. The existing playing rule allowing eight players on the lane would be retained under the men's experimental rule. The women's committee's similar recommended experimental rule also would move the first lane space 10 inches away from the basket, but would limit the number of players on the lane to five, the same number permitted under the experimental rule used by both committees last season.

"These results of these different experimental rules, combined with last year's, would give us a complete group of data from which to determine if such a rules change would effectively reduce rough play in this situation," Weston said.

Both committees also approved an experimental rule recommended by the Division I Men's Basketball Committee. This experimental rule is designed to shorten the amount of time needed to play the last few minutes of televised games. For exempted events, television timeouts (full-length) would be called at the first dead ball after the 16-, 12-, eight- and four-minute marks in each half. Teams would not possess "full" timeouts. Each team would have five mini-timeouts (30 seconds in length); each team could carryover four mini-timeouts to the second half. The first mini-timeout called in the game (by either team) automatically would become a full timeout.

The men's committee approved an experimental rule changing the 35-second clock to 45 seconds. The women's committee elected not to experiment with the shot clock.

In other committee business, the men's committee elected Reggie Minton, coach of the United States Air Force Academy, as chair to succeed Herb Kenny, whose term will expire on September 1.

The NCAA is a membership organization of colleges and universities that participate in intercollegiate athletics. The primary purpose of the Association is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the student body. Activities of the NCAA membership include formulating rules of play for NCAA sports, conducting national championships, adopting and enforcing standards of eligibility and studying all phases of intercollegiate athletics.