PHOENIX --- The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules Committees both added a point of emphasis focusing on sportsmanship between student-athletes and slightly expanded the use of the television monitor at its annual meetings, which were held May 3-5. All rules proposals will be sent for membership comment and considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel before taking effect.

The committees expanded the use of the monitor when available to allow officials to use the technology to review a play and determine if a flagrant foul occurred. When a flagrant foul has not occurred, the committee will allow the officiating crew to penalize a student-athlete with an intentional personal or a technical foul for contact.

“We believe this provides the officials more tools to properly adjudicate the game,” said Dick Hack, chair of the men’s committee and athletics director at the State University of New York College at Maritime. “Previously, when an official used the monitor, the only option was to issue a flagrant foul, which disqualified the student-athlete. The committees believe this change is appropriate.”

Both committees also approved an extensive rewrite of the uniform rules to bring the specifications more in line with current designs and trends without losing the spirit and intent of the rules.

“After several years of study and collection of feedback, the committees believe this rule will allow for the creativity our schools and manufacturers prefer without losing the integrity of the uniform from a rules standpoint,” said Debbie Williamson, women’s committee secretary-editor.

On the men’s rules side, the committee made two significant alterations. After discussing adding a restricted area arc at length, the committee instead decided to define the area under the basket and prohibit a secondary defender from establishing guarding position in that area. In the rules proposal, a secondary defender must establish position outside the area from the front of the rim to the front of the backboard.

“In our surveys and rules forums, the coaches wanted the committee to address the increasing contact that seems to occur under the basket,” said Ed Bilik, secretary-editor of the men’s committee. “Instead of an experimental rule, this clarifies how officials are to call this play throughout the season.”

The men’s committee also approved a proposal dealing with a free throw shooter that is injured. In the proposal, if a student-athlete is fouled (without the foul being flagrant or intentional) and unable to attempt the free throws, the opposing coach will choose the player to attempt the free throws from the four remaining players on the court.

“This rule change is intended to eliminate a team that is fouled from gaining an advantage that it does not deserve,” said Hack. “We believe this is a solid proposal that will not unduly penalize the team that was fouled.”

Both committees focused on sportsmanship with its points of emphasis, particularly dealing with disrespectful conduct by student-athletes and the respect for the game.

“We are concerned with the growing number of instances where taunting or confrontation occurs between student-athletes,” said Amy Backus, chair of the women’s committee and senior associate director of athletics at Yale University.

The women’s committee also included traveling and contact on and by the ball handler/dribbler as points of emphasis. Additionally, they identified contact on a rebound and freedom of movement by all players as focus points. The men’s committee focused on illegal contact around the basket (charge/block/player control) and excessive swinging of the elbows as points of emphasis. The men also identified as other major concerns three-second violations, administration of a free throw (including disconcertion of the free thrower) and traveling.

In administrative news, Bobby Lutz, men’s coach at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, was nominated to become chair of the men’s committee. Additionally, the committee reviewed its plans relating to the two-year cycle for rules changes, which go into effect with the upcoming rules book. The next rules book will cover both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.

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