The National Collegiate Athletic Association and its Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved new rule changes to women’s collegiate basketball Tuesday, June 9.
Included in the new rules is the change from two 20-minutes halves to the style of four 10-minute quarters. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee put forth the format change in an attempt to improve fluidity within games.
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors endorsed the format change.
Another rule change that was approved affects how teams will reach the bonus and shoot free throws per each quarter. Before the rule change, teams would reach the bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and would subsequently reach the double bonus on the tenth team foul.
With the rule change in place, teams will now shoot two free throws immediately on the fifth team foul in each quarter.
Team fouls will reset to zero at the beginning of each of the four quarters, but if a game were to advance into overtime, team fouls in the fourth quarter will carry-over into the overtime periods.
Other rules put forth by the Rules Oversight Panel include:
Post Defense
The panel approved a rule that would permit 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.
Bands and amplified music
This rule change is intended to increase the fan experience within the game, and allows bands or music to be played during dead-ball situations. Prior to the rule change, music by a band or within the arena could only be played during timeouts and during intermissions.
Backcourt exceptions
The new rule concerning backcourt violations will relieve teams of the 10-second backcourt count when a throw-in is deflected out of bounds by the defense. The rule is also negated when there is a held ball and possession is granted to the offensive team. Also, the rule will be negated if a technical foul is called on the offensive team while the ball is in its backcourt.
Other rules to be discussed on June 24
If the new time-out rules are approved on June 24, one media timeout in televised games will be permitted for each of the four quarters, and would be allowed during the first dead ball below the five-minute mark. If a team uses its first time-out before the five-minute mark, that time-out will be used as a media time-out.
Because of the format change, teams will be granted three 30-second time-outs and one 60-seconds time-out at the discretion of the coach. Three of the four time-outs are allowed to be carried over to the second half if not used.
One 30-second time-out will be granted in each overtime period.
These rules will be utilized in the upcoming 2015-2016 season.
Follow Robert Sherman on Twitter:@r__sherman
