College Basketball: Rule changes for 2017-18 announced
The NCAA made minor changes to a few college basketball rule changes for 2017-2018.
The NCAA made several college basketball rule changes for 2018. Read carefully. You don’t want to be “that guy” screaming “THREE SECONDS!” and “MOVING SCREEEEEEEEEEEEN!” Or, even worse, the guy always saying “THAT’S AN OVER THE BACK!”
No, actually, that isn’t a bad call. In fact, “over the back” appears nowhere in the rule book.
College Basketball Rule Changes for the 2017-2018 Season
The coaching box is now 38 feet long instead of 28 feet long. The reason is to allow coaches easier communication with players in the far half of the court. Coaches pretty much had the run of the sideline before 2017, so no one will notice the difference.
After a defensive foul (before the bonus), the shot clock will be reset to 20 seconds instead of 30 IF the ball is inbounded in the frontcourt. If more than 20 seconds remain on the shot clock, the shot clock will not be reset. It’s hard to figure out what problem this rule change solves. However, it is similar to the FIBA rule which assumes that, since no time is needed to advance he ball into the front court, the offense will not receive a full 30 seconds to take a shot. If the violation occurs before the 20-second mark, there is no reset.
Throw-in spots now vary with the situation. For front court throw-ins after defensive fouls or stoppages of play, the throw-in spot is now either three feet from the side of the basket or at the twenty-eight foot mark.* All other throw-ins will remain at the spot out-of-bounds spot nearest the violation or where the ball became out-of-bounds.
Offensive players who are screening must have the inside of their feet set no wider than their shoulders. If the inside distance between the feet is greater than the width of the shoulder and contact is made, it is now an offensive foul.
Also, a defender can no longer straddle an offensive players leg to prevent normal movement. If the defender does so and contact occurs, a foul will be called on the defense.
More Replay but No Ten Minute Rule
Replay may now be used to review fouls called involving the restraining arc in front of the basket, but only during the last two minutes of the second half and any overtime periods.
Avoided was the dreaded change to the “ten minute rule” which reset team fouls at the ten minute mark of the half. However, the march toward complexity and 40 minutes of replay continues. The three-hour game can’t be far behind.
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*The location of throw-ins in the frontcourt is determined by an imaginary line drawn from the corner of the court to the intersection of the lane line and the free-throw line.