On Monday, the NCAA Playing Rules oversight Panel made some changes to how games will be officiated next year.
Some of the changes were minor…
- A foul should be called if a defender keeps a hand or forearm on an opponent
- When a defender puts two hands on an opponent
- When a defender continually jabs an opponent with an extended arm
- When a player uses an arm bar to impede the progress of an opponent.
They also approved more monitor reviews in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime, so refs can look at shot clock violations or who caused a ball to go out of bounds. They can also use the monitor to judge whether certain fouls are flagrant 1 or 2.
However, the biggest rule change was over the block/charge call.
Anyhow who has watched a second of college basketball knows this is the most mind-numbing rule out there, so it’s good to see the panel trying to address it.
The new rule states:
Under the revised block/charge call in men’s basketball, a defensive player is not permitted to move into the path of an offensive player once he has started his upward motion with the ball to attempt a field goal or pass,” the NCAA wrote in a release. “If the defensive player is not in legal guarding position by this time, it is a blocking foul.
Previously, a defender had to be in legal guarding position when the offensive player lifted off the floor.
I’m happy with the new rule changes. The college game is desperate to get more points on the board. Last season’s 67.5 points per game was the lowest total since the 1981-82 season. That’s bad. These new rules should help some.
Personally, I still would have liked to have seen the shot clock lowered from 35 to 30 seconds. I also want each team to have less timeouts. The last five minutes of a game can last longer than the previous 35 and it’s only going to get more painful with the refs checking the monitor more.
