Old Rules

[Forksref]

The Hoosiers thread made me think of some of the old rules. How many old rules do you remember? I'll start it off:

Jump ball on every "held" ball and to start every quarter. This rule, I am sure, was changed because of the advent of girls basketball. What an improvement to get the AP.

[IdahoRef]

When I was a kid (I'm age 47), we couldn't even touch someone without a whistle. I remember them saying on TV in the Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain days that this sport was "Non-Contact". WE'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY!

[Oz Referee]

Gee - I'm only 30 (but been playing since 8 and refereeing since 11) and I can think of heaps! BTW these are all FIBA examples:

- 10 seconds to cross halfway line (now 8)
- shoot 1 and 1 for penalty (now 2 free throws)
- penalty for tech & unsportsmanlike fouls was 1 shot and possesion (now 2 and possession)
- jump balls for held ball, OOB of both players, double fouls (now AP, which I HATE!!!!)
- able to start game with 4 players (now must be 5 on court)
- foul on jump shot (shooting motion used to end with release of ball, now ends when player lands)
- OOB on endline used to inbound from side (now where it went out)
- 2 free throws, use to have the option to take ball from halfway line (now have to shoot them)
- lineup on free throws, use to have 3 on each side (4x defenders, 2x offense, 1x shhoter), now 1 less defense

Could probably think of a few more. Plus there have been HEAPS of mechanics changes.

[dave30]

Girls used to play with 3 on the offensive end and 3 on the defensive end. The defensive players would get the ball and then not be allowed to cross half-court.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by dave30
Girls used to play with 3 on the offensive end and 3 on the defensive end. The defensive players would get the ball and then not be allowed to cross half-court.

Iirc, it was 2/3 of the court instead of half-court. The defense had to stay in the back 2/3 of the way they were shooting, and the offense had to stay in the front 2/3. They were only allowed 2 dribbles too, I think.

[dave30]

It was half-court in the seventies in Texas high school and junior high ball. I remember watching the high school girls play that way when I was in grade school. One team's offensive players only faced the other team's defense and vice-versa....never did the two team's offenses or defenses have any contact with each other. The three offensive girls would stand at half court and the other team's defense would stand with them ...all waiting for the ball to get to half-court so they could get a chance to play.

[bebanovich]

I remember the NBA's old 3-to-make-2 free throws when, ironically, they really didn't need it back then.

[Daryl H. Long]

Lack of action.

[Forksref]

Originally posted by IdahoRef
When I was a kid (I'm age 47), we couldn't even touch someone without a whistle. I remember them saying on TV in the Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain days that this sport was "Non-Contact". WE'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY!

Bill Russell once said that basketball was a contact sport and football was a collision sport.


I remember that it was a throw-in violation if B caught the throw-in while standing OOB because A did not throw the ball "inbounds."

I remember seeing the old 6-ft key on elementary courts when I was that age. It looked like an old key-hole and thus, the "paint" was called the "key."

In Ohio back in the early 60's the 2nd OT was sudden death. (I think it was the 2nd OT, if not, then the 3rd.)

I remember dunking during warm-ups. THAT was many times more entertaining than the game, especially in college.

I remember the dunk being outlawed during the game for a few years (The Lew Alcindor rule).

[RefNVa]

I remember when a technical could be called if you didn't raise your hand above shoulder height after being called for a foul. The officials would use the bird dog mechanic with the palm up, they would then lift their palm to indicate for you to raise your hand. Saw very few Ts called but the threat was always there.

[Mark Padgett]

I remember having a jump ball every time the laces on the ball got snagged on the peach basket.

[Adam]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee

Iirc, it was 2/3 of the court instead of half-court. The defense had to stay in the back 2/3 of the way they were shooting, and the offense had to stay in the front 2/3. They were only allowed 2 dribbles too, I think.

In Iowa, up until around 1993 or 1994, only the big schools were playing with 5 players. My school played "six-player" basketball for the girls. It was half court.

Rule differences. Each team consisted of 3 "forwards" and 3 "guards." Forwards stayed on the side of the court they shot at, and the guards were on the other half.

Players were allowed to dribble the ball only twice, but they need only start the downward push of the ball before lifting their pivot foot. IOW, they could get a little further with two dribbles.

After a made basket, the officials would take the ball to midcourt and give it to the other team for a "throwin" from, I beleive, the center jump circle.

Defensive players were not allowed to touch the ball when it was being held by an offensive player, unless the offense was in the lane.

With only three offensive players, some scoring averages were pretty high in those days.

[BillyMac]

Old rule from about twenty years ago; change of status. A change of status was about to occur when eighty percent of a timing count situation had past: four seconds on a five second inbounds throwin (which had to touch an inbounds player within five seconds), four seconds on a five second closely guarded situation, and eight seconds on a ten second back court count. When a change of status was about to occur, a time out could not be granted allowing the team to avoid the five or ten second violation. In other words, when you got to four of a five second count, or when you got to eight of a ten second count, you could not grant a time out.

[Jimgolf]

There used to be a jump ball after every made basket, just like the faceoff in hockey.

There were a few coaches who thought getting rid of the center jump ruined the game. I don't think any officials complained, LOL.

[crazy voyager]

Originally posted by Jimgolf
There used to be a jump ball after every made basket, just like the faceoff in hockey.

There were a few coaches who thought getting rid of the center jump ruined the game. I don't think any officials complained, LOL.

how long did those games take? they must've taken for ever to play, imagine the number of jump balls there must have been