Rule change time again

[Back In The Saddle]

Okay, I'm really struggling to see why anybody would seriously suggest changing the closely guarded rule in this way. Here's the submitted rationale: "The current rule gives a decided advantage to the defender and takes away a vital skill in ball handling, controlling the dribble. The rule should be changed to eliminate the element of dribbling, or the distance should be reduced. Under the current rule, a player with the ball at the top of the 3-point arc can be closely guarded by a defender standing on the free throw line."

First of all, as I understand it, all of these types of rules that have been tried over the years have, at their root, the express intention of neutralizing the Hot Rod Hundleys of the world. We don't want a super-skilled dribbler to be able to control the ball for minutes at a time. But this proposal seems to want to go there.

Second of all, three feet? Are you kidding me? Any reasonably quick point guard will blow right by any defeneder who is within three feet. So if we reduce the distance, we screw the defense. Sure, this rule works in NCAAW, but they also have a relatively short shot clock to force the action.

Am I missing something? Or is this just a non-starter? And, if so, how did this ever get past the survey and onto the proposed list?

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by socalreff

The primary reason they changed the rule in NCAA was that officials were too inconsistent with their counts.

Huh? Reducing the closely guarded distance from 6 feet to 3 feet somehow "fixes" the issue of inconsistent counting? How do you get from one to the other?

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Huh? Reducing the closely guarded distance from 6 feet to 3 feet somehow "fixes" the issue of inconsistent counting? How do you get from one to the other?

No, but not requiring them to count during a dribble reduces the number of times that they have strain themselves by counting to 5. Wonder how they manage to administer throw-ins? Hmmmmm.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

No, but not requiring them to count during a dribble reduces the number of times that they have strain themselves by counting to 5. Wonder how they manage to administer throw-ins? Hmmmmm.

Gee, and I always thought they removed it just because the shot clock was so short. Silly me. But at least I know to whom I should defer judgment....

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Gee, and I always thought they removed it just because the shot clock was so short. Silly me. But at least I know to whom I should defer judgment....

I can see that if you've got a short shot clock, you don't need a closely guarded rule as much to force the action. But the argument that officials are too inconsistent in their counts as a primary reason to remove just one of several counts, AND shorten the distance to three feet doesn't make sense to me.

I don't see coaches teaching defenders to get within three feet. And the players only get quicker as you go up the ladders. Do they get many closely guarded counts in NCAAW? Maybe on traps or after the dribbler picks up her dribble?

Either way, I think the proposed rule change makes NO sense for HS ball. Frankly it seems like somebody just wants to be more like college, without really thinking about why.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Do they get many closely guarded counts in NCAAW?

No.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Either way, I think the proposed rule change makes NO sense for HS ball. Frankly it seems like somebody just wants to be more like college, without really thinking about why.

Ding ding ding ding ding!
We have a winner.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Either way, I think the proposed rule change makes NO sense for HS ball. Frankly it seems like somebody just wants to be more like college, without really thinking about why.

I think that many of the Women's Basketball/NBA Mechanics and rules are being pushed by those that work that game or have ties to that game. Just because they work in those settings does not mean it will work in the HS setting. I am so tired of other Women's basketball always trying to bring their crap to ever level.

Peace