2016-17 POE's

[OKREF]

2016-17 NFHS Basketball Points of Emphasis

1. Acknowledging and Granting Timeout criteria. Granting a time-out is an aspect of the game allowed by rule where knowledge of ball position, player control and dead/live ball criteria can all be factors in awarding the requested timeout. Consideration has been given regarding continuing the opportunity for a head coach to call a time-out. The committee wanted to maintain the current time-out criteria. When a ball is live, player control is required. A player or the head coach of the team in possession may request and be granted a time-out. When the ball is dead, the crew must maintain its coverage areas on the court but also be aware of the opportunity for a head coach to request a time-out. This request can be oral or visual, but must be verified by the ruling official. If the request meets criteria, a time-out should be granted.

2. Technical Fouls. This area of the rules book has been restructured to better define the different types of technical fouls.
Administrative technical fouls include roster changes in the scorebook, more than five (5) players on the court, and violation after a team warning for delay. This results in a team foul as well as the administration of two (2) free throws and the ball at the division line for a throw-in. The head coach does not lose the opportunity to stand in the coaching box due to an administrative technical being assessed.
A player technical foul counts as one of his/her five (5) fouls towards disqualification. This type of technical foul also counts towards the team foul total.
A bench technical foul counts towards the team total. Examples of a bench technical foul are unsporting act/conduct by a non-player, grasping the basket or dunking, and leaving the bench area during a fight. The head coach loses the opportunity to stand in the coaching box during live ball situations if a bench technical foul is assessed.
The Technical-Foul Penalty Summary chart is a good reference guide for review and use in pre-game conferences.

3. Replacing a Disqualified or Injured Player. In the case of disqualification or removing a player for injury, a coach will have 15 seconds (Previously 20 seconds) to insert a replacement player into the game. If it is a player’s disqualifying foul, the ruling official shall report the foul to the official scorer and then notify the coach that the player has been disqualified. This begins the 15-second replacement interval. If the replacement is for an injured player, as soon as the coach has tended to the injured player and is able to resume coaching duties, the ruling official shall request the timer to sound the horn to begin the 15-second replacement interval. If a replacement player has not been made available, the timer shall sound the horn at the conclusion of the 15 seconds.

4. Protecting the Free Thrower. This continues to be an area of emphasis. The rule change last year was implemented to protect the free thrower. On release of the ball by the player attempting the free throw, the defender “boxing out” shall not cross the free-throw line into the semicircle until the ball contacts the ring. In addition, officials should be aware that contact and displacement of the free thrower is illegal and shall be enforced.

5. Post Play. This was an area of improvement last year and continues to be an area of awareness and enforcement. A review of the criteria is as follows:
 An opponent is displaced from a legally established or obtained position
 An arm-bar is extended and displaces an opponent
 A locked and/or extended elbow displaces an opponent
 A leg or knee is used in the rear of an opponent to hold or displace
 Holding, hooking, slapping, pinning or pushing the leg or body of an opponent
 An offensive post player “backs-down” and displaces the defender once that defender has obtained a legal guarding position