New NBA Rule Changes

[All_Heart]

NBA alters emphasis for shooting fouls in 2011-12 - ESPN

NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson confirmed Wednesday that several new rule interpretations will be a point of emphasis for the league's referees when the regular season begins on Dec. 25.

"Rip-through" moves, in which an offensive player swings the ball into a defender's outstretched arm and then attempts a shot once he has created contact, will be considered non-shooting fouls if the contact begins before the offensive player starts his shooting motion.

Also, on drives to the basket, a shooting foul will be called only if contact occurs after the offensive player has begun his shooting motion, not after he has initiated his leap toward the basket.

"Certain types of contact involving the shooter were all being called in his favor," Jackson said. "It doesn't look good for the game. There was a strong feeling that those types of plays were creating an ill-advised reward for the shooter, often with three free throws."

The league will also make traveling in the post and on the perimeter a point of emphasis, with a player hopping off of and landing on the same foot viewed as an automatic violation. Referees will also consider locking or clamping an opponent's arm or hand under the basket while battling for a rebound and discontinued or hesitation dribbles as automatic violations.

Several rule changes will also be introduced, most to shorten the overall length of games and speed up the final minutes of a contest:

• Substitutions will only be allowed before the final free throw of any trip to the line that is not for a technical or flagrant foul.

• Two horns will be sounded 15 seconds apart after every timeout. Teams whose players are not moving toward the court as soon as the second horn sounds will receive a delay-of-game warning.

• Instant replay will be utilized only during full timeouts, not 20-second timeouts, when necessary.

• Whether a player's foot is on the three-point line or midcourt line will be determined by where it last touched the floor, meaning a player could have a toe on the three-point line but if he leans back on his heels before he releases the ball a successful shot would be deemed a three-pointer.

• The eight-second backcourt violation will occur when the shot clock reaches 15 seconds, rather than 16.

The last rule is necessary because the 24-second shot clock will now be equipped to show 10ths for the final five seconds and work as a "true" clock. From a technical standpoint, the old shot clock began with 24.9 seconds and expired with .9 left. Now the clock will switch from 24 to 23 seconds after .1 second has expired.

Jackson said a survey of coaches determined when the shot clock would break into 10ths.

"We didn't want to run them for the whole 24 seconds and the consensus was, from a strategy standpoint, that the final five seconds were the most valuable," he said. "Before, you could have two seconds left on the shot clock but you wouldn't know if it was 2.9 or 2.1. That makes a big difference."

Referees also will be hyper-vigilant about defenders making contact with offensive players when they're in the air and fully extended attempting to score. In most cases, expect that kind of foul to draw a Flagrant Level 2, which is two free throws, possession of the ball and the defender being ejected.

"That type of contact was a trend last season and it's really dangerous," Jackson said.

[letemplay]

All right!! Hyper-vigilant refs! Is this new?

[tomegun]

"• The eight-second backcourt violation will occur when the shot clock reaches 15 seconds, rather than 16.

The last rule is necessary because the 24-second shot clock will now be equipped to show 10ths for the final five seconds and work as a "true" clock. From a technical standpoint, the old shot clock began with 24.9 seconds and expired with .9 left. Now the clock will switch from 24 to 23 seconds after .1 second has expired."

I don't think many people realized this.There is a rules "guru" (he has the rule books memorized, page, rule, etc.) from the DC area who was the first person I heard talk about this. If we have a kick ball in college and the clock reads 15, should we reset the clock to 15? According to this gentleman, yes.

BTW, this gentleman does a weekly quiz 52 weeks a year via a newsletter (email). If anyone is interested PM me and I will give you his information.

[All_Heart]

Originally Posted by tomegun

"• The eight-second backcourt violation will occur when the shot clock reaches 15 seconds, rather than 16.

The last rule is necessary because the 24-second shot clock will now be equipped to show 10ths for the final five seconds and work as a "true" clock. From a technical standpoint, the old shot clock began with 24.9 seconds and expired with .9 left. Now the clock will switch from 24 to 23 seconds after .1 second has expired."

I don't think many people realized this.There is a rules "guru" (he has the rule books memorized, page, rule, etc.) from the DC area who was the first person I heard talk about this. If we have a kick ball in college and the clock reads 15, should we reset the clock to 15? According to this gentleman, yes.

BTW, this gentleman does a weekly quiz 52 weeks a year via a newsletter (email). If anyone is interested PM me and I will give you his information.

Initials: A.B. and yes he is definitely a rules guru! And I think everyone should attempt to be a "rules guru".

I may be wrong but I don't agree with the statement "old shot clock began with 24.9 seconds and expired with .9 left". I do agree that a shot clock that shows 10ths of a second make sense.

24.0 - Shot Clock shows 24
23.9
.
23.1 - Shot Clock shows 24
23.0 - Shot Clock shows 23
.
.
.
1.1 - Shot Clock shows 2
1.0 - Shot Clock shows 1
0.9
.
0.1 - Shot Clock shows 1
0.0 - Shot Clock shows 0 (Horn sounds as soon as 0 shows on shot clock)

If you watch the shot clock at the beginning of the 2nd half a full second expires before the shot clock changes from 35 to 34 (Mens NCAA).

If the shot clock shows 15 then it is anywhere from 15.0 -> 14.1 so yes I agree that technically we should reset the shot clock to a fresh 15. However, I couldn't find it in this year's rule book. I think there was something sent out by the NCAA a couple of years ago that said we are supposed to reset it to a fresh 15 if it shows 15 but I can't find it. Anyone know where this is?

[derwil]

Originally Posted by All_Heart

• Whether a player's foot is on the three-point line or midcourt line will be determined by where it last touched the floor, meaning a player could have a toe on the three-point line but if he leans back on his heels before he releases the ball a successful shot would be deemed a three-pointer.

Great....now they've not only got to watch the feet but where exactly did the foot contact the ground.....something else to watch.

[APG]

Originally Posted by derwil

Great....now they've not only got to watch the feet but where exactly did the foot contact the ground.....something else to watch.

Most players aren't going to shoot with a toe-to-heel jump. Two, if it did happen, it was already going to be a play close enough that they would have to go to the monitor anyhow.