The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee recommended a number of changes Friday including tweaks to the block/charge call and circumstances around how it is called, a relaxing of jersey number restrictions and other various changes. Recommendations from the committee will go to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel for review on June 8. They would apply to the 2023-24 season if ratified.
Among the proposals, the block/charge change stands out as the most impactful potential proposed change. Currently, defenders must be in position to draw a charge before the offensive player goes airborne. The new rule would require defenders to be in position earlier — before an offensive player plants his foot to jump. From the NCAA:
If the defender arrives after the offensive player plants a foot to launch toward the basket, officials would be instructed to call a block when contact occurs between the two players.
A secondary defender still would have to be outside the restricted-area arc to legally draw a charge.
The recommendation came after the rules committee received feedback from membership that “too many charges are being called” on the types of plays previously described as the rules are officially written. In considering the changes, it could not only decrease the number of charges called, but also “give officials more time to officiate these plays,” the NCAA’s Rules Committee said. Player safety was also considered.
“Our goal is to try to reduce the number of charges that are called,” said Rick Barnes, Tennessee’s coach and the committee chair. “We want to give more time to the offensive player to adjust to defensive player movement and reduce the hard collisions that are taking place.”
The NCAA will also consider granting an offensive player a timeout even if the player is airborne. Another tweak to the timeout rules under consideration is potentially charging a team a timeout if the original call on the floor is challenged by a coach and not overturned when the clock is under two minutes.
A new proposal that would allow players to wear any number between 0 and 99 will also go to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel for review. For decades the NCAA has restricted two-digit jersey numbers beginning with 6, 7, 8 and 9.
Other proposals to be sent to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel for review later this summer include the following:
- An optional rule would allow for preloaded/live video to be transmitted to the bench area. This has been an experimental rule for the past two years.
- Officials would be able to review goaltending/basket interference calls during the next media timeout to ensure the calls were accurate, as long as the official calls it on the floor. If there is a foul on the shooter while the ball is in the air with a goaltend/basket interference, the review would be immediate to properly adjudicate the potential free throws.
- Nonstudent bench personnel would be allowed to serve as peacekeepers when an altercation occurs.
- Under two minutes, when a coach requests an out-of-bounds play be reviewed, that team would be charged a timeout if the original call is not overturned.
- Anytime the ball hits the rim and the offense retains possession in the front court, the shot clock would reset to 20 seconds.
- If a player is called for a foul and instant replay officials see that the foul is a direct result of a flagrant 1 or flagrant 2 foul against the player who was originally assessed a foul, officials would be allowed to remove the foul on the player who was flagrantly fouled.
- A timeout would be able to be granted when a player has possession of the ball even though the player is airborne. (An example would be a player grabbing a loose ball and calling timeout before landing out of bounds.)
- If a player commits three flagrant 1 fouls in a game, the player would be disqualified from the game.
- Players would be allowed to wear numbers 0-99.
- Schools would no longer have to submit a waiver for players to wear religious headwear, provided it is safe for competition.
- Red and amber lights would be allowed on the backboard.
