INDIANAPOLIS --- No changes to the playing court were recommended and few other proposals were passed during the meetings of the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules Committees May 2-5 in Savannah, Georgia.

The Men’s Basketball Rules Committee, which experimented with extending the three-point line to 20 feet, 9 inches, a widened lane and a restricted-area arc during the 2005-06 season, will not collect data on the lane-change possibilities this year.

"We have years of experimental data about several different court modifications,” said Larry Keating, chair and senior associate director of athletics at Kansas. “We have the numbers, and now we need to continue discussing the future of the game with the coaches. The future may or may not include a wider lane or longer three-point line. The door is not closed on this issue.”

Experimentation in the last few years has indicated that moving the three-point line to 20 feet, 6 inches, the same distance that is used Internationally, or 20 feet, 9 inches, which is the distance used in experiments last fall, would make little to no difference in the shooting percentages as compared to the line at 19 feet, 9 inches. Similarly, the data has demonstrated that the widened lane would not change the balance of rebounding after a missed free throw but must be further reviewed as to its impact on the game.

"Our purpose in considering court changes is about considering the physical characteristics of the players playing the present game,” Keating said. “It is unrealistic to widen the court or to lengthen the court. We can widen the lane and extend the three-point line to allow our players, who are bigger and stronger than ever, more room to maneuver.”

Although annual survey results show a growing acceptance of changes to the court markings, the committee will solicit more feedback from coaches in the upcoming year about the issue.

Both committees agreed to forward a recommendation to eliminate an airborne player’s ability to call timeout when momentum is carrying him/her either out-of-bounds or into the backcourt.

This and all rules proposals are not final until reviewed and approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel. The panel, which is made of 12 administrators from all three divisions across the country, will meet via conference call May 30 to consider these proposals.

Both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules Committees passed a proposal that would require Division II and Division III programs to have 10th of a second game clock displays, red lights or LED lights and shot clocks mounted on the backboard by 2010. Division I facilities have been required to have both components since the 2002-03 season. NCAA playing rules are the same for all three divisions except in the rare instance of financial hardship.

"We have built in four years for our institutions to make this change,” said Ronda Seagraves, chair of the Women’s Basketball Rules Committee and associate athletics director at Southwestern University (Texas). “We do not want our Division II and III student-athletes to play indefinitely without these advancements.”

The women’s committee will also add teeth to the existing rule for Division I facilities. Any Division I institution that is not in compliance with the 10th of a second display on the game clock, red lights or LED lights and the shot clock will be assessed an indirect technical foul to start each home contest. There currently is no penalty for non-compliance.

In an effort to maintain the look of uniformity amongst players on the team, the committees will specify that compression pants or undergarments shall not extend below the game pants. Undershirts shall not extend below the elbow. Only sleeves worn for medical purposes will be allowed.

Experimental Rules

Women’s basketball teams will continue experimenting this fall with the three-point line extended to 20 feet, 6 inches and the 10-second backcourt rule. On the men’s side, the committee will be looking for feedback on eliminating the first lane space nearest the basket on each side of the lane and using the present, second, third and fourth lane spaces on each side of the lane during a free throw attempt. This is the alignment currently used in the women’s game.

All experimental rules for both men and women are required to be used during certified contests played before January 1, 2006, and the committee urges participation during all other exhibition games and scrimmages.

Points of Emphasis

The points of emphasis will look familiar to both the men’s and women’s constituents. Rough play and palming will remain as points of emphasis for the 2006-07 season for men’s basketball. The committee will also emphasize proper adjudication of the loose-ball pile-up scrambles on the playing court that occur during the game, including calling personal fouls and ensuring the possession before granting a timeout.

"We have concerns about the safety of our players during a loose ball,” Keating said. “If we focus on calling fouls, we think we can cut back on players jumping on top of the pile. Furthermore, the recognition of a timeout before a player has attained possession of the ball must be called within the defined rules.”

For the women’s game, displacement and sportsmanship will remain as points of emphasis for the 2006-07 season.

"Sportsmanship is more than a buzz word. We are concerned about the behavior we see in our game,” Seagraves said. “We will not tolerate coaches out of the coaching box or taunting by our players. There are plenty of opportunities for team communication within the lines of the coaching box. There is no excuse for players being derogatory toward opponents or officials.”

The Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules Committees are made up of coaches and administrators from all three divisions and from across the country. The committee, which meets annually, has purview over what happens on the court when an official and an opponent are present. The rules are the same for all three divisions and for regular season and championships play.

A full list of approved proposals can be found in the Tools & Resources box above.