The NJCAA Executive Committee and the basketball committee chairs approved for the NJCAA to follow the recent NCAA Rule changes for men’s and women’s basketball for the 2015-16 season with the exception of the change in the men’s defensive arc. The change in the arc will be adopted in the NJCAA for the 2016-17 basketball season.
Here’s a look at the new rules that will be in place for the upcoming season in the NJCAA.
Men’s Basketball Rule Changes
The key areas officials will focus on in the upcoming season are:
- Perimeter defense, particularly on the dribbler and strictly enforcing directives established before the 2013-14 season.
- Physicality in post play.
- Screening, particularly moving screens and requiring the screener to be stationary.
- Block/charge plays.
- Allowing greater freedom of movement for players without the ball.
Pace of play
Reducing the shot clock to 30 seconds from 35 seconds.
Teams will also have one fewer team timeout (only three can carryover instead of four) in the second half. Officials will focus more on resuming play quickly after a timeout and will issue a delay-of-game warning when a team does not comply and a one-shot technical foul on subsequent violations.
Removing the ability for a coach to call timeout when the ball is live.
Allowing a total of only 10 seconds to advance the ball to the front court (with a few exceptions).
Reducing the amount of time allotted to replace a disqualified player from 20 to 15 seconds.
Restricted-area arc (will be adopted for the 2016-17 season)
Expansion of the restricted-area arc from 3 feet to 4 feet.
Faking fouls
A rule that would allow officials to penalize players who fake fouls. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee felt that players trying to draw fouls by deception is a growing issue.
Other changes
Allowing officials to use the monitor to review a potential shot clock violation on made field goals throughout the entire game.
Making Class B technical fouls (hanging on the rim and delaying the resumption of play, for example) one-shot technical fouls. Previously, two shots were granted for these types of technical fouls.
Eliminating the five-second closely guarded rule while dribbling the ball.
Removing the prohibition on dunking in pregame warmups and at halftime.
Women’s Basketball Rule Changes
Games will be played in four 10-minute quarters next season, instead of the 20-minute halves.
Teams will now reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. Previously, teams reached a one-and-one bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and reached the double bonus (two shots) on the 10th team foul.
In the four-quarter format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus during any additional overtime periods.
Advancing the ball
A rule that allows teams to advance the ball to the front-court following a timeout immediately after a made basket in the last 59.9 seconds of the fourth quarter and any overtime periods.
Teams also will be allowed to advance the ball to the frontcourt after securing the ball from a rebound or a change of possession. In these scenarios, the ball would be inbounded at the 28-foot mark on the side of the court where the scorer’s table is located.
10-second backcourt exceptions
NCAA women’s basketball implemented the 10-second backcourt rule during the 2013-14 season.
For the upcoming season, a team will not receive a new 10-second backcourt count when a throw-in results from the following:
- The ball is deflected out of bounds by the defense.
- There is a held ball and the possession arrow favors the offensive team.
- A technical foul is called on the offensive team while the ball is in its backcourt.
Post defense
A new rule that allows defenders to place a forearm or an open hand with a bend in the elbow on an offensive post player with the ball whose back is to the basket.
