Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair, who led the Aggies to the 2011 NCAA Championships, likes the changes coming to NCAA women's basketball games next season, the most noticeable of which is a format change to four 10-minute quarters.
"Even though basketball was invented in the United States, it has become an international game," said Blair. "The rules that are being put in place are closer to what the WNBA, the international game, and what our kids who are playing overseas are using."
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the rules on Monday, moving away from the 20-minute halves the sport has always used. In addition, teams will now reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter.
"You're going to increase scoring opportunities by the fifth foul being the double-bonus instead of the one-and-one, I think the scoring will go up because of it," said Blair. "Fans want scoring, they do not want 55-53 games; they want to see the score in the 70s."
In the four-quarter format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus during any additional overtime periods.
"I like the new rules, particularly the quarters," Blair said. "I think it'll be good for the flow of the game, and cut down on the amount of times you have two media timeouts on two dead balls."
Applying the new format to A&M's 2014-15 season—Texas A&M would have been trailing by five to Duke entering the "fourth quarter," a game the Aggies won on Nov. 30. A&M played three games in 2014-15 where the Aggies trailed entering the last 10 minutes of the game and pulled out a victory, essentially fourth quarter comebacks in the new format.
The panel approved a rule that allows teams to advance the ball to the frontcourt following a timeout immediately after a made basket, or securing a ball from a turnover or rebound, in the last 59.9 seconds of the fourth quarter and any overtime periods.
Six times in 2014-15 would a timeout have advanced the ball for A&M nearing the end of a close game, including with four seconds left against Texas on Dec. 21 and with nine seconds left against Georgia on Jan. 22.
Also, in an effort to improve the overall fan experience, bands or amplified music may be played during any dead-ball situation during a women's basketball game. Previously, rules allowed music to be played only during timeouts and intermission.
"I think that's good, you should just be creative, just like the WNBA does in selling the game," said Blair. "I think that we got to do that to entertain the fans."
In addition, new rules governing exceptions to the 10-second backcourt rule and post defense were approved.
"We should always tweak our rules to adjust to adjust to how our student-athletes are going to play later on in life, if it is working over there," said Blair. "Certain rules are good for the game, change is good."
Rules Changes Summary
"Even though basketball was invented in the United States, it has become an international game," said Blair. "The rules that are being put in place are closer to what the WNBA, the international game, and what our kids who are playing overseas are using."
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the rules on Monday, moving away from the 20-minute halves the sport has always used. In addition, teams will now reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter.
"You're going to increase scoring opportunities by the fifth foul being the double-bonus instead of the one-and-one, I think the scoring will go up because of it," said Blair. "Fans want scoring, they do not want 55-53 games; they want to see the score in the 70s."
In the four-quarter format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus during any additional overtime periods.
"I like the new rules, particularly the quarters," Blair said. "I think it'll be good for the flow of the game, and cut down on the amount of times you have two media timeouts on two dead balls."
Applying the new format to A&M's 2014-15 season—Texas A&M would have been trailing by five to Duke entering the "fourth quarter," a game the Aggies won on Nov. 30. A&M played three games in 2014-15 where the Aggies trailed entering the last 10 minutes of the game and pulled out a victory, essentially fourth quarter comebacks in the new format.
The panel approved a rule that allows teams to advance the ball to the frontcourt following a timeout immediately after a made basket, or securing a ball from a turnover or rebound, in the last 59.9 seconds of the fourth quarter and any overtime periods.
Six times in 2014-15 would a timeout have advanced the ball for A&M nearing the end of a close game, including with four seconds left against Texas on Dec. 21 and with nine seconds left against Georgia on Jan. 22.
Also, in an effort to improve the overall fan experience, bands or amplified music may be played during any dead-ball situation during a women's basketball game. Previously, rules allowed music to be played only during timeouts and intermission.
"I think that's good, you should just be creative, just like the WNBA does in selling the game," said Blair. "I think that we got to do that to entertain the fans."
In addition, new rules governing exceptions to the 10-second backcourt rule and post defense were approved.
"We should always tweak our rules to adjust to adjust to how our student-athletes are going to play later on in life, if it is working over there," said Blair. "Certain rules are good for the game, change is good."
Rules Changes Summary
- The game will be played in four 10-minute quarters instead of the previously used two 20-minute halves
- Under the new format, teams will shoot two free throws after the fifth team foul in each quarter. Previously, teams shot a one-and-one after seven team fouls in each half and two shots after the 10th team foul in each half.
- Media timeouts will take place at the first dead ball after the 5-minute mark in each quarter. If a team calls a timeout before the 5-minute mark, the team-called timeout becomes the media timeout
- A timeout advances the ball to the frontcourt during the last 59.9 of the fourth quarter or overtime following an opposing made basket, a rebound or change of possession.
- Bands or amplified music can be play at in any deadball situation. Previously, bands and amplified music was only allowed play during timeouts
- Defenders can now use forearms or an open hand to defend an offensive post player whose back is to the basket
- A team is not subject to the 10-second backcourt count if the ball is deflected out of bounds by the defense, there is a held ball, or an offensive technical foul in the backcourt