NCAA Rule 4-10-1d and the Length of Games
 

Just a thought. Games take ridiculously long already. We all know that. However, there's one rule that for some reason is not enforced and frankly I don't understand why...

“A delay is any action that impedes the progress or continuity of the game. Such actions include, but are not limited to:

ART. 1d. 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."

If officials cleaned this up, most games could be reduced by a couple minutes, which may not seem like much but is an absolute necessity in today's game since there's no chance of reducing the number of team or media timeouts.

Thoughts?

It's not as big a problem as you think. These huddles take a few seconds at most and don't appreciably delay the game. I know officials do break up the huddles if they take a long time. It's really just up to the officials discretion.

Slap Me Five ...
 

Here in my little corner of Connecticut, we don't see a lot of high school free throw strategy huddles anymore. I believe that part of the reason is the delay of game rule, and the other reason is that Dean Smith retired.

All we get today is just some shooter hand slapping, from teammates on the lane, and from teammates behind the three point arc, but it only lasts a few seconds.

When there are huddles during a free throw, they are more likely to occur before the first of two free throws, with the coach, as he pulls as many players as he legally can off the lane for a quick pow wow. Nothing illegal about that.

Something else that would help shorten games: If NCAAM adopted the rule NCAAW put into effect this season...

Media Timeouts. (Rule 5-14.10.e). When a timeout is granted and creates a dead ball within 30 seconds before the media marks or creates the first dead ball after one of the 15-, 10- and 5-minute marks or the 16-, 12-, 8- and 4-minute marks, that timeout will become the electronic-media timeout for that specified media mark time.

I swear sometimes Men's HCs call timeouts on purpose right before the media timeout knowing full well they're getting another 2+ minute timeout after the next dead ball.

All they'll do is just request the timeout with 31 seconds to go before the next media TO. I don't think it would make any difference.

It's cleaned up in my games.

I'll give you some ideas:
1) Five seconds to shoot a free throw, not ten
2) Have players stay in their free throw lanes after a free throw instead of congratulating someone for something nearly every human being as ever done in the last 100 years.
3) After the first horn, players have to assume a position ready for play.
4) Not give teams 20 seconds after a foul out.
5) Not give teams an ability to substitute after the last free throw.

Of course they do it on purpose. Especially if they've got a short bench and they're gassed. And, they'll sit their star player, so that he gets extra long rest and only loses a couple possessions of real playing time.