[Bobby]

The arrow is the most ludicrous rule:

During the 2003 NCAA Tournament, games were decided unfairly by a team having the alternating possession arrow. One team would have the arrow late in the game when a crucial jump ball was called, and the team with the arrow won each game. One NCAA Tournament Final (1994 Women’s - Richmond) was decided by the arrow, as a team received the inbound and took the winning shot on the arrow with less than three seconds remaining.

Good defense is not rewarded. Should a defensive player cause a jump ball, it is his prerogative to gain control of the ball for his team on the ensuing jump ball.

On a tap-off between a short and tall guy, if the shorter person has a better vertical leap and can time it precisely, he steals the tap. Furthermore, if a teams are lined up properly outside the circle, the team with the shorter player can simply take positions on the face-off to favour his team, and if the taller guy puts poor "english" on the jump, the shorter guy's team can take the ball. Furthermore, the taller player is easier to commit the old bugaboo of taking the tap before the ball crosses the peak.

Having a game determined by luck goes against what sport means, when skill and fundamentals determine the winner.

Many coaches and analysts (Dick Vitale most notably) have said the jump ball is the fairest way to decide a held ball.

If the officials use the ice hockey 20-second faceoff rule on a basketball jump ball, it would be very quick to resume play -- get the two players in the circle, signal substitutions, and throw it up in under 20 seconds.

Responsibility is also lost.

Also, one common procedure in college is for a player to take the ball and call the time out just to avoid a violation by arrow. This can't happen in FIBA. That's also a concern.

The NBA is right. Don't settle a dispute by luck. Take a tap.