[BillyMac]

I've written an article that I hope to get published in a high school basketball officiating magazine. It my hope that Forum members could peruse the article, and offer any constructive criticism, or additions. The article is only about basketball rule changes that have trickled down to the NFHS (not only NCAA, and/or only NBA rule changes).

Who’s Trent Tucker? And Why Is There A Basketball Rule Named After Him?

On January 15, 1892, James Naismith published his rules for the game of basketball, the game that he invented. Basketball games played under these original thirteen rules were quite different from the games played today. Throughout the history of the game of basketball, certain players have held enormous physical advantages that completely changed the way the game was played on both offense and defense. These players were so dominant that they caused many rule changes, rule changes that were supposed to reduce the dominance of these gifted players to make their style of play a bit fairer to other players. Most of these rule changes were originally instituted in NCAA, or NBA games, but these changes eventually trickled down to NFHS rules.

Leroy Edwards (Kentucky 1934-1935, NBL 1935-1949), a six foot, five inch All-American center for the Kentucky Wildcats, a prolific scorer in the days of low scoring games, is generally recognized as the player responsible for the implementation of the three second rule. Enacted in 1936, the rule was originally designed to limit rough play near the basket. The three second rule states that an offensive player cannot remain in an opponent’s free throw lane area for more than three consecutive seconds while his team has the ball in the frontcourt. A game central to this rule's introduction was that between Coach Adolph Rupp’s University of Kentucky Wildcats, and the New York University Violets, held in Madison Square Garden on January 5, 1935, a game that was especially rough. While the three second rule was originally adopted to reduce roughness between big men in the free throw lane area, it is now used to prevent tall offensive players from gaining an advantage by waiting close to the basket. The NFHS adopted the three second rule in 1941.

George Mikan (DePaul 1942-1946, NBA 1946-1956), was a six foot, ten inch All-American center for the DePaul Blue Demons, and Bob Kurland (Oklahoma A&M 1942-1946), was a seven foot All-American center for the two time NCAA champion (1945 and 1946) Oklahoma Aggies. The dominating defensive play of these two tall centers around the basket led the NCAA to outlaw defensive goaltending in the 1944-1945 season, making it illegal for a defensive player to touch the ball on its downward flight to the basket. This was in reaction to Mikan and Kurland standing in front of basket swatting away practically every opponent’s shot attempt.

Mikan’s dominating play in the NBA also led to a rule change. Due to the narrowness of the free throw lane, imposing centers such as Mikan dominated the lane, scoring at will. The NBA, at the onset of the 1951–52 season, widened the free throw lane from six feet to twelve feet, a change known as the “Mikan Rule”, forcing Mikan to start farther from the basket to give other players a chance.

Bill Russell (San Francisco 1953-1956, NBA 1956-1969), the six foot, ten inch All-American center for the San Francisco Dons, was one of the most dominant basketball players of his time. Russell was so dominant in the 1955 NCAA tournament that rule changes were enacted in college basketball to prevent a tall player such as Russell from gaining an advantage. In 1956, the NCAA widened the lane from six feet to twelve feet to make it more difficult for tall players to dominate the lane. The NFHS changed to a twelve foot lane in 1957.

Russell was known as the “Funneler” for guiding his teammate’s shots into the basket. Because of this, in 1956, both the NCAA and the NFHS enacted rules outlawing offensive goaltending, mainly as a result of Russell's tactic.

Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas 1956-1958, NBA 1959-1973), the seven foot, one inch, 275 pound All-American Kansas Jayhawks center’s impact on the game of basketball was reflected in the fact that he was directly responsible for several rule changes. When Chamberlain, a notoriously bad free throw shooter, attended Overbrook High School (Philadelphia, PA), he had a unique way of shooting free throws. He would stand at the top of the key, throw the ball up toward the basket, take two steps, jump toward the rim (he reportedly had a fifty inch vertical leap), and dunk the ball through the basket. At the time it was perfectly legal as he never touched the floor before releasing the ball. In 1956, during his freshman year at Kansas, the NCAA banned dunking free throws as a result of Chamberlain’s unorthodox style of shooting free throws in high school. Later, the NBA also banned dunking free throws. NFHS rules now state that a free thrower shooter shall not have either foot beyond the vertical plane of the free throw line until the ball touches the ring, or the backboard, or until the free throw ends. In addition, the free throw shooter must cause the ball to enter the basket, or touch the ring, before the free throw ends.

Chamberlain is also credited with a rule change regarding inbounding the ball by front court inbounders standing behind the endline underneath their basket. His teammates would routinely inbound the ball by lobbing the ball over the backboard where Chamberlain would catch the lob pass and dunk the ball into the basket for an easy score. In 1956, the NCAA, followed by the NFHS in 1957, ruled that the ball is out of bounds when it passes over a rectangular backboard (in either direction).

When Chamberlain was playing college ball at Kansas, a favorite play by the Jayhawks was to lob the ball toward the basket, hoping simply to get it in the vicinity of the rim. Chamberlain would roll to the hoop, catch whatever came within his enormous wingspan, and slam it home. His rivals couldn't stop him, so the NCAA rules makers outlawed offensive basket interference, preventing Chamberlain from touching the ball in the cylinder above the rim. The NBA also instituted offensive goaltending, and offensive basket interference, rules in response to Chamberlain’s dominant offensive play.

Chamberlain is the reason why the lane in the NBA is sixteen feet wide, forcing him to start farther from the basket. It was twelve feet wide when Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 and he won both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors by setting up shop in the low post, using his strength to lean in on opponents and lay the ball in the basket with his soft finger roll. After five years of watching Chamberlain score virtually at will, the NBA added four feet to the width of the lane in the 1964-65 season to make it a little tougher on him. Chamberlain responded by perfecting a turnaround jumper.

Chamberlain is regarded as one of the most extraordinary players in the history of the game of basketball, a larger than life figure on, and off the court, who changed the game of basketball and its rules. He was the most dominating force the sport has ever seen, perhaps any sport has ever seen, a colossus whose impact is felt to this day. His dominance caused many rule changes designed to thwart him. In regard to this, Chamberlain is quoted as saying, “Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath”.

When Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) (UCLA 1966-1969, NBA 1969-1989) started playing basketball for UCLA Bruins, NCAA officials felt that the seven foot, two inch All-American center, being especially tall and athletic, could place the ball over the rim and throw it through the hoop with ease. This feat of athleticism which we all know as the dunk and seems so routine was not so routine back in the mid-1960’s. It was considered unfair that he could do it so easily. So the NCAA banned dunking in 1967. This was called the “Alcindor Rule”. Another reason dunking was outlawed was to prevent injury and equipment damage. A distorted rim could delay a game. As a result of the rule, Alcindor developed a great hook shot, the “Sky Hook”, which he used effectively during his playing days in college, and in the NBA. After multiple issues with the new rule and the invention of the breakaway rim the NCAA allowed the dunk to be legal again during 1976-1977 season which was shortly after UCLA Coach John Wooden's retirement. The “Alcindor Rule” eventually trickled down to NFHS rules. In 1967, the NFHS banned dunking in high school basketball games. In 1970, the NFHS also prohibited dunking during pregame warmups. Like the NCAA, the NFHS reversed itself in 1976 and a rule change allowed dunking during the game but not during pregame warmups, nor during intermissions, and with a later rule change in 1978 outlawing dunking a dead ball.

(Continued)