Rule Change Proposals for '08

[Mark Padgett]

I still think we should eliminate possession as part of the penalty for a technical foul. We should always use POI. Think of it this way - if there's a technical against the offensive team, they lose two shots and possession. If there's a technical against the defensive team, they lose only two shots because they didn't have possession in the first place. This means the severity of penalty for a technical is different for a team with the ball vs. a team without the ball. The implication is that it is a worse offense to commit a technical if you have the ball than if you don't. That's illogical.

I realize that if a technical occurs during a time of no team control and we're using POI, we would have to use the AP arrow instead according to the current rule, but that should be changed to treat POI like the NBA rule. That means that if a technical is called, you "freeze" the game, take the shots, then resume the game where you left off. I think that makes sense, since a technical is something that takes place "outside" the normal playing of the game.

However, I do not support changing the penalty from two shots to one shot, like the NBA.

Another rule change I would like to see is a requirement for coaches to always have their mouths taped shut during games. This would be an advantage for everyone, including the players.