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Front Page

Change in rules set to shoot game in new direction









One of the striking differences so far in the games on show this (pre) season has been the new shot clock rules, part of a package of amendments introduced by FIBA which will officially come into play after the Olympics.

Some, like playing four quarters instead of two, have already been in place in the BBL, but others will noticeably shift the manner in which basketball is played.

The biggest change is to the shot clock as it is reduced from 30 to 24 seconds and the time an offensive team is allowed to cross the halfway line is trimmed from ten to eight seconds.

Whilst this may appear to fall in line with the NBA, FIBA's interpretation of the rule is notably different from that of America's top league.

Like the NBA, the shot clock will not be reset until the ball hits the ring or goes in, unlike previously when the clock was reset following the release of the ball by the player.

However, if the 24 second buzzer sounds whilst the ball is in flight and the shot misses, a 24 second violation is called a possession is passed to the defensive team. If the shot goes in, the basket counts. In short, if the shot clock expires whilst the ball is on its way to the basket there will be no rebound, it will either be a score or a violation.

So far, this has led to a visible increase in stoppages, often frustrating for teams who would otherwise have taken a legitimate offensive or defensive rebound.

Some coaches have already voiced their disquiet at the anomaly over when exact a ball is back in play if an ultimately unsuccessful shot is in the air when the 24 seconds clock runs out.

But as BBL Officiating Supervisor Nick Stonard explains, the overall aim is to to speed the game up rather than slow it down.

“The changes to the 24 second rule represent an attempt by FIBA to make the game even more dynamic,” he said. “The reduction inevitably speeds the game up, though speed and athleticism has rarely been a problem in BBL competitions. 

“FIBA have introduced the rule to help speed up the game worldwide, but there is a concern that the new rule could result in unnecessary stoppages to the game.  If the 24 seconds expires while the ball is in the air on a shot for goal and the shot hits the rim but does not enter the basket, there can be no rebounding situation, the game will stop and out of bounds possession will go to the defensive team.  There is as yet no evidence as to how often this will result in an interruption to the flow of the game, but BBL will be monitoring how the rule operates in the early weeks of the season.”

However not everyone is happy. As Sheffield coach Chris Finch points out, the new rule has not just decreased shooting time by six seconds but in reality by more than that.

"I think FIBA has got it all wrong," he stated. "I think what they have tried to do, which is understandable, is quicken the game. But they really had an oversight when they changed the rules but not to the same version that the NBA have - and you still allow a zone defence, so they have really muddied the water."

However Leicester chief Billy Mims unsurprisingly takes the other view - one which decrees that more points is better for the fans.

"Why have FIBA gone to a 24 second shot clock? Because they want to see teams speed up the tempo. Fans do not want to go and see boring basketball and they won't if they come to see the Riders, because we are going to play the same up tempo style of basketball that's been successful for me wherever I have gone." 
 
 
 
KEY RULE CHANGES
Rule Was Is Now
Shot Clock .. 30 seconds
Shot Clock Reset .. On release of ball
Shot Clock Violation .. Failure to shoot before buzzer 
Time to cross halfway .. 10 seconds
Time outs .. 2 per half
Last two mins .. Subs not allowed on score
Player Technical foul .. 2 free throws
24 Seconds
On hitting the ring
Failure to hit ring before buzzer

8 seconds
1 per quarter, 2 in fourth
Subs allowed on score
1 free throw and possession 


 

Other Changes
The amount of time-outs a side is allowed has been changed to five during the course of a game. A coach is allowed one time-out per quarter and two in the fourth. Time-outs, though, do not carry over from quarter to quarter; if you don't use it, you lose it.

A technical foul called against a player will now be punished by one free throw and possession of the ball from the half-way line and this has led to the eradication of the almost never used 'unsportsmanlike technical foul' (not to be confused with the unsportsmanlike foul which remains unchanged).

The final noticeable rule change relates to substitutions. A team can now make a substitution in the final two minutes of the game when the opposing side scores, thus stopping the clock. These can be requested at any time up to the point where the ball is available to the player to bring the ball in bounds i.e. it does not have to be requested before the basket is made.  The same applies to time outs in the last two minutes.

There are further amendments to rules including the jump ball, violations, goal tending and defensive pressure, but these should be almost unnoticed in BBL games.
 


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