Sounds to me like we need to get Howard registered on the board, so we can get his assistance first-hand! Come on, Howard, I know you're reading this!! :D

Chuck

Apparently we now have bi-costal support for Howard to join the board! I'm all for him and Dave (either the real one or any personas) to join! :)

I'm not bi-coastal! Not that there's anything wrong with that. . .

http://tomsquotes.amhosting.net/sitc.../legscross.jpg

You've got one of his personas already -- in my opinion, it's plenty!

Thursday night at our first summer league game, it was me explaining to the officials! When I first heard of the rule change, I remembered a fast-break play out of opponents' free throws that I learned at a clinic. I never used it in the past because it requires putting two players at midcourt, and if I did that under the old rule, we'd give up too many rebounds off the misses. So we walk through the new play at the school before we head off to summer league. The first free-throw lineup, we just put our two in the two required spaces nearest the end line and our point guard in the third spot up on one side. Of course, the opponents fill up four other spots with the rest of their team and we have no one to box two of them out. I try to explain it on the fly but the officials are looking at me funny. At halftime I told them about the new rule, and the one said, "I'm sure we'll find out about the new rules soon."

When and how does the info get disseminated in your area? I want to play in summer league by the same rules we will play by in the season--the purpose of summer league is preparation!

Some summer leagues play by "last year's rules"; some play by "next year's rules."

If it's the latter, a summary of the new rules is usually included with the other league rules (running clock, nobody fouls out; no free throws, etc.)

The summer league I'm assigning for got the info off this board -- via Mark Padgett. But I'm also working in another league that is using the new free throw line-up and I couldn't say where they got it. Probably from Howard.

Juulie - I think the coach meant where do we get the information on rules changes in the first place. We get them off the NF website. Usually, they are released about this time of year. Anyone can access the site at nfhs.org.

Gee - here I am representing I know what a coach meant. I need my meds again.

Well here it is: The Official Word as spoken by Howard Mayo. I got this e-mail just a few minutes ago, and I'm pasting it in word-for-word.

Juulie:

I have read several posting on the 'official's form' and would like to offer the official interpretation as set down by the National Federation.

There has been no change in regards to who may occupy marked lane spaces with the exception that under the 2003-04 rule, players in marked lane spaces shall be limited to the maximum of 4 defensive and two offensive players in spaces 1,2 & 3 with the top marked lane space(Closest to the shooter) remaining vacant.

The lane space adjacent to the endline shall be occupied by opponents of the free thrower - #2 lane space may be occupied by the offense - #3 lane space may be occupied by the defense - #4 lane space (top) shall remain vacant.

The only lane space that must be occupied is the lower space adjacent to the endline. The other two lane spaces are optional and players do not have to occupy these spaces.

Examples: Offense chooses not to occupy #2 lane space - Defense may occupy.
Defense does not choose to occupy #3 lane space - Offense may
occupy.

Keep in mind that regardless of how many lane spaces are open, there can be only a maximum of 4 - defensive and 2 - offensive players on the lane line with the top space vacant.

It is legal to have only the lower space occupied with #2 and #3 spaces vacant.

Because the top space must remain vacant, if for some reason a player(s) occupy the top space and the thrower has the ball, that player has committed a violation. Officials should make sure, prior to presenting the ball to the shooter, that the top space is vacant and the bottom space is occupied by the defense.

Under last year's rule, 82% of missed free throws were gathered by the defense. It will be interesting to see if the new alignment will increase the percentage for the defense
There will be several new case book plays to cover the new rule when the case books come out in early August.
Hope this clears up any confusion.


Just remember, you heard it here first!!

Juulie & Howard,

With all due respect, there is no way that the 82% figure is correct. Perhaps it is so in boys' basketball, but in girls' varsity & JV basketball it is not. The first year after the change to crossing into the lane on the rim instead of the release, the varsity team I coached with rebounded 71% of our own free throw misses (29% defense), and rebounded just 38% of our opponents' misses.

Although this change will allow the defense to get a higher percentage of misses than in the past, it will not make the correct things enough to make up for that the old rule change from rim to release.

The NFHS should've followed the NCAA women's rule. The problem is that without being allowed to move until the ball hits the rim, those two spaces nearest the endline are at a disadvantage. Very rarely do free throw misses kick away at a 90-degree angle, and that is the only rebound those front-space players can get to.

Perhaps with the leaping ability in the boys' game, this is not such a disparity. But my experiences watching some boys' games this year is that they "anticipate" the ball contacting the rim and the officials are loathe to call a violation when the player entering is not far in advance of the ball contacting the rim.

Coach, it's been my experience that 81% is about right for organized boys/mens ball at & above HS. I don't have enough girls experience to comment on how close this is for them. Do you use the NFHS line up or the NCAAW line up? It seems a 30% defense success rate is kinda low.

You may be right about the 82% figure. I have no idea, Howard will call me if he wants to discuss it.

But I do think the new arrangement helps the defense a little. It seems from just this weekend that there were more defense rebounds. It seems reasonable, though, that the improvement would be even greater if we went to NCAA. It would also save several very inane conversations with coaches.

This does it for me. Thanks, JR.