Possible rule changes, NCAAM style...

[SWMOzebra]

I work NCAAW, but here are my thoughts:

"There's not a lot of momentum to change the shot clock from 35 to 30 seconds," the source said.
-- Not surprised, reducing the shot clock to 30 seconds is too similar to the women's game and both rules committees seem hell-bent on keeping the games different.

The automatic flagrant fouls for the swinging of elbows will almost certainly be amended. The new rule will give referees a measure of discretion ... depending on the nature of the elbow and whether excessive contact is made.
-- No big surprise here either.

As is the case with the NBA, officials will be able to check replays at timeouts to determine whether a made shot is inside the arc or a 3-pointer. This would help the flow of the game. This would only apply in the first 36 minutes of the game.
-- Is this a big deal in NCAAM? I work in two conferences with monitors and have never had to check to see if a shot was two or three points.

Referees likely will be able to go the monitor in the last two minutes of the game for more than just flagrant calls, whether it's a 3-pointer or whether the clock had expired. They would also be able to go in the final minutes to determine possession after a difficult call to determine which player was the last to touch the ball.
-- This would be a welcome rule change IMO, hope they're considering this for the women's game as well.

The block/charge call could be slightly altered in an effort to help the offensive player. Under the existing rule, the secondary defender needs to be in legal guarding position before the player leaves the ground. The new interpretation would be that the defender needs to be set before the offensive player begins the upward motion of his shot. "We feel this would help referees and also reduce the number of charge calls," the source said.
-- So, they added the RA to push the defenders out and keep them from getting charge calls under the basket. Now, we're getting too many charge calls ... so we need to even things out? I'm indifferent to this one, but don't have that many RA calls working NCAAW (presuming they keep this rule the same for both men and women).

Instead of a full 35-second shot clock following a foul in the frontcourt, it will likely be reduced to somewhere between 20 and 25 seconds in an effort to create a few more possessions each game.
-- Meh. Indifferent here as well.

To try to improve the game and make it more free-flowing, there will be emphasis on the current rules (on pages 109 and 110 of the rule book) regarding hand-checking and cutting.
-- I would think this is an uphill battle, given the prevailing attitude of "let 'em play" that seems to be well entrenched in NCAAM ... especially at the D1 level.

Many college coaches, largely because they are the face of the sport, talk incessantly to the referees. Hit these guys with technicals early in the game and in the season, and it'll change quickly.
-- Amen.

[johnny d]

I think possibly reducing the FF penalty for swinging elbows is a mistake. I work NCAAM basketball both before and after this rule has been implemented. I think the game has gotten much cleaner since this rule has been in effect. I realize there are times when a FF1 probably isnt warranted under the current rules, but all the players are aware of the ramifications of elbow contact, even if it is not excessive, and they have for the most part adapted their game to this. The number of plays with people truly swinging their elbows excessively is almost down to zero now, making the game much safer. Once officials get discretion on this play, you know that most of these calls will not be FF because of pressure from the coaches, so I would expect the elbow swinging to increase once the players realize they will most likely only be given a personal foul. I think this is one case where a rule designed to improve safety has actually had the intended effect with very little impact on any fundamental aspect of the game.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by SWMOzebra

...To try to improve the game and make it more free-flowing, there will be emphasis on the current rules (on pages 109 and 110 of the rule book) regarding hand-checking and cutting.
-- I would think this is an uphill battle, given the prevailing attitude of "let 'em play" that seems to be well entrenched in NCAAM ... especially at the D1 level.
...

This was my only real criticism of the officiating in the NCAA Tournament. I felt like dribblers out top were getting mugged.