We haven’t even had a chance to see what the new 2.3/2.5 GPA rules mean yet for high school and JUCO scholarships to D-1 universities when the NCAA have come up with new proposed rules to “open up the game.”   Scoring at the D-1 level keeps dropping and this is the first step to boost up the scoring.

If I read the proposed rules correctly, it will make the game an even more of a guard based game.  If the rules are successfully implemented, here may be the outcome of the new rules;

1. Athletic, quick guards who can slash to the middle will have the advantage over the slower, stronger guards who currently control the smaller players with hand checks and body blows.  More guard “floaters shots” and interior passing to the Bigs. 
2. More free throw shooting for a couple years till coaches make the personnel changes.
3. More space for players to shoot.
4. More scoring.
5. The end of the “Grinder Teams” as we know them today? 

Men’s basketball rules committee tweaks block/charge. 

By Greg Johnson 
New NCAA Changes    NCAA.org

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee recommended a significant focus on freedom of movement and a change to how block/charge calls will be made, and the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee recommended adding a 10-second backcourt rule during their respective annual meetings Monday-Thursday in Indianapolis.

All proposed rules changes by the committees must be approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which next convenes via conference call June 18, before becoming effective for the 2013-14 season.

The men’s committee focused much of its discussions on attempting to open the game.

“We talked a lot about the rules that are currently in place and ultimately believe a focused effort on calling the rules as written will have an immediate and significant impact,” said John Dunne, chair of the committee and head coach at Saint Peter’s.

For what is believed to be the first time, the committee met with the National Association of Basketball Coaches board of directors and Division I Men’s Basketball Committee to share concepts and opinions.

“It was a tremendous opportunity to get some feedback and ultimately, particularly from the coaches, the emphasis was to call the rules that are already in the book,” Dunne said.

In regard to the block/charge call in men’s basketball, the committee is proposing that a defensive player is not permitted to move into the path of an offensive player once he has started his upward motion with the ball to attempt a field goal or pass. If the defensive player is not in legal guarding position by this time, it is a blocking foul.

The current rule calls for a defender to be in legal guarding position before the offensive player lifts off the floor.

Committee members believe this will give officials more time to determine block/charge calls. Committee members also believe the tweak to the block/charge rule will:

• Allow for more offensive freedom;
• Provide clarity for officials in making this difficult call; and
• Enhance the balance between offense and defense.

In Division I games last season, the average amount of points scored in games was 67.5. This is the lowest scoring average since the 1981-82 season when teams averaged 67.6 points per game. The points-per-game average has also dipped in each of the last four seasons at the Division I level.

To curtail the impeding progress of a player, it will be stressed to officials that they must address these rules throughout the game.

The committee wants the following types of personal fouls be called consistently throughout the game:

• When a defensive player keeps a hand or forearm on an opponent;
• When a defensive player puts two hands on an opponent;
• When a defensive player continually jabs by extending his arm(s) and placing a hand or forearm on the opponent;
• When a player uses an arm bar to impede the progress of an opponent.