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I rarely see more than 2 or 3 of those fouls at the end of a close game before it either closes or gets beyond reach.
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One example of short-sightedness is the belief that your experience and everyone elses' is the same. It isn't. I routinely have, especially in HS subvarsity games, coaches start fouling with 2 minutes left and 10 down. 2 to 3? In 10 seconds, maybe.
The 3 point shot has neutralized the free throw even for teams that CAN make their FTs, which most can't. Plus, you have a team ahead by 2 or 3 late actually attempting to foul to prevent a 3 point shot winning or tying. So we have fouls by the losing AND winning team now -- either to stop the clock or prevent a 3. In other words, we condone rules infractions being used for competitive advantages. Can you name any other rules code that allows that? I find it a little strange Mark P is just now posting this, as I'm sure he was involved in threads where this topic has come up previously. If he wasn't, it would be the only such thread in history!
Seriously, I don't care who gets credit; I'm sure I wasn't the first one with the idea. But it IS needed, and there are few, if any, reasonable objections. We deal with declining penalties in football all the time, and the real point is to change the game away from using fouls or other rules infractions to gain an advantage.
The idea is sound, long overdue, and one that I have proposed for years -- including on here.
Other rule changes needed:
-- eliminate the 1 and 1; 2 shots at 7 fouls and 2 shots and the ball at 10. The game is way too physical. Plus, 40 and 50 foul games take way too long.
-- go back to the FT lane restriction ending on the release; we have all but ignored the rule at the varsity level and no summer leagues have or enforce this rule. Besides, the current rule can be very difficult to call in some situations.
-- Fed needs to mandate the 14 foot box. Texas will never go to it and the 6 foot box is worse than none at all. I WANT coaches to feel free to walk down their bench and address a player -- either to calm him or her down or to educate. Plus, we can now tell coaches (and admins) that the box is absolute -- its there on the court correctly marked or we don't use it. Get out of it, and you will be issued a T. Now, even I admit 6 feet is way too restrictive.
-- Remove warm up dunking restrictions. There's no need for this rule. If they destroy the equipment, forfeit. If they get hurt, sorry. If they get out of control, we can deal with that through plenty of remedies.
I think Fed should also seriously consider mandating 3 officials at the varsity level right now (or a 2 year implementation) and let it be known that within 3-8 years, ALL HS games must use 3 officials. This is a pipe dream, but I can wish can't I?