NCAAW Lower Defensive Box (video)
 

You've heard the rule, now see the video.

"In a world where the Restricted Area was king..."

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Take Two Aspirin And Call Me ...
 

Makes me glad that I just officiate high school games.

(Anybody got an E.T.A. for the restricted area in NFHS rules?)

There already is one. It starts at the endline and includes the area outside the endline. :)

Now that I've watched this video. I like where they're going. Not sure how consistent it will be called as there will need to be a lot of eyeballing of invisible lines in order to make the right call. Still, I often though the RA was too restrictive on good defensive plays.

Talk About A Restricted Area ???
 

I don't use it as often as I did a few years ago (I'm more mature now, and the environment is much more politically correct now, probably for the good), but one of my favorite lines, before handing the ball to a male inbounder, standing very close, within an arms length, of the cheerleaders was, "Don't touch the cheerleaders". Some players would take it as serious advice to prevent some type of mythical violation, not my intent, while others would "get it", like a light bulb going on, and smile back at me.

As it was described to me by my FNI (Friendly Neighborhood Interpreter), when the rule was originally introduced it was incomplete. The LDB completes the rule.

I think eyeballing will be the easy part. It's recognizing where a move begins when a player is on the move - especially if she doesn't have the ball - that will cause the most headache. I wish there had been more of a chance to work with it during the summer. All the AAU tournaments used NFHS rules so the only time we'll have to practice is in preseason scrimmages.

I like the fact that we have a "when in doubt" option. Some coaches probably won't like the fact that the "when in doubt" option calls for the RA to be in play but they had to choose something.

Seems to match up well with the NBA rule.

My head hurts after watching the instructional video...
 

I'm with Billy on this one. Glad Im just a HS guy. I have a hard enough time trying to visualize invisible lines representing my PCA. Add in the LDB...determining who is a secondary defender and where the foot/feet are located with regard to the LDB, where the shooter's move to the basket started ...and oh yeah, don't forget to look down at the restricted area arc right before the crash and figure out where those feet are.

I hope the FED never adopts this rule. My hats off to JMF and you other guys who are able to keep all this cr@p straight.

The Eyes Have It ...
 

... and I officiate in "Two Person Connecticut", the Land That Time Forgot. At least the college guys, and high school guys in progressive states, have six eyes on the game (except for the guys who work day jobs as pirates).

Who says we can keep it straight? :)

Since I work H.S. ball in NYS one of my big fears when the RA came in was that it would be adopted for girls' games (NYS girls play modified NCAAW rules). Thankfully the powers that be thought better of it but initially they were going to use it - the first year they told us "imagine" the RA is there. Before the season started there was a change of heart. My guess is schools balked at the idea of re-doing their floors. From an officiating standpoint it would've been ugly trying to deal with the RA with 2-person crews.

Blurred Lines ...
 

We still have a few schools with the twenty-eight foot midcourt line. More than a few have a mark below the block on the free throw lane. Few have a coaching box painted on the floor, and I don't believe that we have any with a painted "X" at the table, instead these are usually taped onto the floor.