Biggest rules/mechanics changes of the last 5 years

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Some high school gyms still have the 28 foot hash mark painted on the inbounds side of the boundary sideline.

Anybody besides Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. old enough to remember what this hash mark was originally used for?

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

Back in the day, teams had an option to forgo free throws on a foul against them. The 28-foot mark was used as the throw-in location in that case.

I think that was a FIBA Rule back then.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

No ilyazhito, but thanks for playing. As a parting gift you'll receive a twenty-volume set of the Encyclopedia International, a case of Turtle Wax, and a year's supply of Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco treat.

Two uses for NFHS 28 foot hash marks back in ancient times.

1) Hash mark separated the midcourt for the forecourt. New five second closely guarded dribbling count if dribbler passed the hash mark going forward. So a possibility of sixteen seconds of being closely guarded with no violation. Holding in midcourt. Dribbling in midcourt. Continue dribbling past hash mark. Continue dribbling in forecourt. Holding in forecourt.

2) Lack of action technical foul. Team behind, while on offense, had to "force the action" by dribbling past the hash mark after being warned by the officials. Team behind, while on defense, had to "force the action" by closely guarding opponents in the midcourt after being warned by the officials.

The Lack of Sufficient Action Rule was adopted by the NBC and kept in the NFHS and NCAA Men's Basketball Rules when the NBC devolved into the two aforementioned Committees, and predates the adoption of the Closely Guarded Rule (CGR) by the NBC (and subsequentially by the NFHS and NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committees).

NOTE: NBC is the National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada and wrote the Rules and Officials Manuals for boys'/girls' high school and men's college before devolving into the NFHS and NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committees.

The NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee has always (with apologies to the late J. Dallas Shirley) had a CGR starting with the NAGWS Basketball Rules which was based upon the FIBA's CGR. The Women's CGR has always (I am sorry J. Dallas.) been a Violation by the Team in Control of the Ball.

The NBC Closely Guarded Rule was first adopted by the NBC for the 1970-71 school and necessitated and adoption of the 28 Foot Hash Marks to divide the Front Court into the Fore-Court (Hash Mark to the End Line) and the Mid-Court (Hash Mark to the Division Line). Originally a CGR resulted in a Held Ball by definition with the Ball being put back into Play by a Jump Ball between the two Players involved at the nearest Jump Circle (Center Circle or Free Throw Circle). Later the Rule was Changed to make it a Violation by the Team in Control of the Ball.

Billy touched briefly on how the Mid-Court and Fore-Court were used and there was a second of school of thought which posited that a Ball Handler could be in Control of the Ball for not 16 seconds bur 20 seconds and I am a proponent of 20 seconds, but that is a discussion for another time.

Oh how I miss the Lack of Sufficient Action Rule (LSAR). I will not go into detail (maybe at a later date I i will) but the 28 Foot Hash Mark played no part (sorry Billy) in the adjudication of the LSAR. The Penalty for an Infraction of the LSAR was a TF charged to the Offending Team. Depending upon the Score and which Team had Control of the Ball either the Offense or the Defense could be charged with LSAR Technical Foul.


See my comments above.

MTD, Sr.