OT - John Feinstein - How to Make College Basketball Better

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Issue #1: See the NCAA Rules Book. NCAA R4-S17-A1d: A delay is any action that impedes the progress or continuity of the game. Such actions include, but are not limited to: Repeatedly delaying the game by preventing the ball from being promptly put into play, such as delaying the administration of a throw-in or free throw by engaging in a team huddle anywhere on the playing court (See Rule 10-S2-A5b, which states: After a team warning has been issued, repeatedly delaying the game by preventing the ball from being promptly put in play, such as delaying the administration of a throw-in or free throw by engaging in a team huddle anyplace on the playing court. PENALTY: (Art. 4 and 5) Two free throws awarded to the offended team. The ball shall be put back in play at the point of interruption.).

This solution is no different that in the NFHS Rules Book. The real problem is at the JrHS and HS level: Officials do NOT enforce the rule from the beginning of the game; maybe it is time it becomes a POE in both the NFHS and NCAA Rules books. The NFHS rule has been in the book for close to twenty years and yet I have coaches tell me that they have never heard of such a rule. And this is not a sexist statement but girls' teams are worse than boys' teams when it comes to violating this rule. I have yet to charge a team with a TF for this infraction but MTD, Jr., and I do issue the Official Warnings when appropriate as specified in NFHS R4-S47.


Issue #2: I have talked with officiating friends for years with awarding three FTs starting with the 13th foul of the half, but everybody things it is too extreme for a penalty.

Mark, Jr., and I had an afternoon game yesterday and listened to the Duke-Syracuse (Syracusa for "our" friends; look up the rules for being in the Costra Nostra or Mafia, .) on our ride home. Bob Valvano was the color commentator for ESPN on the game and he freely discussed the possibility of Syracuse fouling to prevent Duke from attempting a three-point FG.


Just two items that the Rules Committees should look at for next year.

MTD, Sr.


P.S. Regarding Issue #2. As a student of the game (very few people know that I can claim to come from an coaching background) and I do not have a problem with a team fouling at the end of the game. But I would like to see a "triple" bonus, if you will, adopted in the future, because I think at a certain point in the game, a team giving up two FTs to keep a team from scoring a three-point FG is an unbalance in the rules.