After years of both Men’s and Women’s Basketball have fallen under ultimately the same rules; two 20 minute halves, 10 team fouls in each half meant entering into double-bonus and allowing the opposing team to shoot two free throw shots, and a 10 second backcourt violation. With a new set of rules set by the NCAA in Women’s Basketball, all of these will change, for the better?
With this new format, games will now run for four 10 minute quarters, it is intended to greaten the flow of the game and play. However, with these 10 minute quarters, teams will only be allowed 5 team fouls per quarter before the opposing team gets to go into double-bonus. As for the 10 second backcourt violation, the 10 seconds will no longer restart if the ball is knocked out of play, a technical foul given, or if there is a “jump-ball.” Playing defense in the post will become a more physical game than before as defending players will now be allowed to have an open hand, or forearm on the the back of the offensive player. Bands and other means of amplified music will now be allowed during any dead ball, rather than only at timeouts and the changing of halves.
Are these new rules really going to improve the flow of the game, or could they wreck it? People can argue that interrupting that halves will make the game longer and less interesting, or maybe even seem stereotypical? Will people take offense to the rule change and think it to be simply because women have less stamina/endurance to play at such a fast pace for a full 20 minutes at a time? What about going into double bonus after five fouls in a quarter? Will this cause the players to foul more often or less? Make the game longer or shorter? The new 10 second backcourt rule will certainly make for a more exciting and fast pace game, as players will could potentially only have a few seconds or less to get the ball across the court right from inbound depending on where the ball became dead! Allowing bands and loud music to be played during any dead ball could potentially become very overwhelming for players and coaches as it will be very tough to hear and concentrate when it comes to communicating to one another about various things, such as positions, defensive switches, or different play calls.. Will this rule last? Will it be changed back to only being allowed during intermissions and timeouts?
Now, as for a personal favorite rule change, let’s talk about now being able to have a forearm or open hand on the back of a player that is “posted up!” Although many times a player can get away with quite a bit of contact while playing in the post position, it is also called as a foul very often. The consistency of calling this by referees is not very good as it is, what will now allowing this new contact do? It will certainly make the game just a bit more physical in the post, but will there be a line drawn? How much force will a referee allow? One referee may allow a great deal of physicality, while another may continue to go by the old rules and even call a flat hand on the back with no force applied.
All in all, there are definitely pros and cons to the rule changes, it all comes down to; will they all work and succeed in what they were originally intended to do or will they collapse and go right back to the original format for all NCAA games, whether it be men’s or women’s?
With this new format, games will now run for four 10 minute quarters, it is intended to greaten the flow of the game and play. However, with these 10 minute quarters, teams will only be allowed 5 team fouls per quarter before the opposing team gets to go into double-bonus. As for the 10 second backcourt violation, the 10 seconds will no longer restart if the ball is knocked out of play, a technical foul given, or if there is a “jump-ball.” Playing defense in the post will become a more physical game than before as defending players will now be allowed to have an open hand, or forearm on the the back of the offensive player. Bands and other means of amplified music will now be allowed during any dead ball, rather than only at timeouts and the changing of halves.
Are these new rules really going to improve the flow of the game, or could they wreck it? People can argue that interrupting that halves will make the game longer and less interesting, or maybe even seem stereotypical? Will people take offense to the rule change and think it to be simply because women have less stamina/endurance to play at such a fast pace for a full 20 minutes at a time? What about going into double bonus after five fouls in a quarter? Will this cause the players to foul more often or less? Make the game longer or shorter? The new 10 second backcourt rule will certainly make for a more exciting and fast pace game, as players will could potentially only have a few seconds or less to get the ball across the court right from inbound depending on where the ball became dead! Allowing bands and loud music to be played during any dead ball could potentially become very overwhelming for players and coaches as it will be very tough to hear and concentrate when it comes to communicating to one another about various things, such as positions, defensive switches, or different play calls.. Will this rule last? Will it be changed back to only being allowed during intermissions and timeouts?
Now, as for a personal favorite rule change, let’s talk about now being able to have a forearm or open hand on the back of a player that is “posted up!” Although many times a player can get away with quite a bit of contact while playing in the post position, it is also called as a foul very often. The consistency of calling this by referees is not very good as it is, what will now allowing this new contact do? It will certainly make the game just a bit more physical in the post, but will there be a line drawn? How much force will a referee allow? One referee may allow a great deal of physicality, while another may continue to go by the old rules and even call a flat hand on the back with no force applied.
All in all, there are definitely pros and cons to the rule changes, it all comes down to; will they all work and succeed in what they were originally intended to do or will they collapse and go right back to the original format for all NCAA games, whether it be men’s or women’s?