Inspired Question on Potential Elbow Rule Change

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

"4) Guidelines to enforce illegal contact. Escalating fight situations can often be traced back to illegal contact not being properly enforced and penalized. Examples of illegal contact are:
Contact between players in free throw lane spaces prior to the ball contacting the ring a. It is illegal to physically contact an opponent prior to the ball legally contacting the ring." This appeared in the final two sentences of this season's POEs. However, there is absolutely no justification for it in the rules book.

Same thing with the Point of Emphasis on contact above the shoulders/intentional fouls. If it's only a POE, and not in the actual rulebook, how are the future rookies of the basketball kingdom supposed to learn about such interpretations, from old, wise, officials as everyone gathers around the campfire, passing oral history down from generation, to generation?

At least the NFHS is considering making some changes to the contact above the shoulders/intentional fouls rule: "About Rules For 2013-14 – Would You Favor? 4. Strengthening the penalty for illegal elbow contact above the shoulders."