Delayed Return ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Is that "something" a harsh technical foul (situation pretty much matches word for word in the rule language), or a less harsh (new) violation (though not really exactly what the new rule says)?

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

... you should submit a rules change proposal. Seriously.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I have. A few years ago (not too long ago) my suggestion made its way all the way up the ladder to the table of the NFHS Rules Committee, where it was voted down.

With bob's encouragement, I decided to submit my proposal again.

It's on its way up the ladder again (last submitted in 2020), local, state, national.

If at first you don't succeed ...

NFHS Proposed Basketball Rule Change

Delete Old Rule: Player Technical Foul 10-4-2: A player must not: Purposely and/or deceitfully delay returning after legally being out of bounds. Penalty: (Section 4) Two free throws plus the ball for a division-line throw-in.

Add New Rule: Out Of Bounds Violation 9-3-4: A player must not purposely and/or deceitfully delay returning after legally being out of bounds. Penalty: (Section 3) The ball is dead when the violation occurs and is awarded to the opponents for a throw-in from the designated out of bounds spot nearest the violation.

Many officials don’t call players for purposely delaying returning in bounds because they believe that the penalty of a technical foul is too harsh. The penalty for illegally "coming in" should be similar to the penalty for illegally "going out" (9-3-3).

The NFHS did something similar many years ago with swinging elbows excessively with no contact. Forty-plus years ago it was a violation to do so, then the NFHS changed it to a technical foul. Many officials, believing this to be too harsh a penalty, didn’t charge the technical foul. In response, the NFHS reversed course and changed this illegal act back to a violation.

Same thing happened in 2005-06 when the NFHS changed leaving court for an unauthorized reason from a technical foul to a violation. The rules committee believed that the former penalty of a technical foul was not being assessed and hoped that changing the penalty to a violation would increase the likelihood of the infraction being called and eliminate a tremendous advantage.