The NCAA News - News & Features

Timeout rule in basketball changed again

As a result of the committees' action June 14, all full-length timeouts requested by a team once the designated media timeouts have been exhausted are no longer limited to 75 seconds.

The committees originally intended the rule as a tool to speed up play in the last four minutes of games.

Several basketball constituencies expressed concern about the length of games, especially the last few minutes of a contest. In response, the basketball rules committees decided that in televised games, once the designated media timeouts (usually at the first dead ball after the 16-, 12-, eight- and four-minute marks in each half) were exhausted, any timeout called by a team would be restricted to 75 seconds.

The time restriction, however, directly conflicted with the NCAA's contracts with CBS Sports and ESPN to televise the Division I Men's Basketball Championship and the Division I Women's Basketball Championship. Upon learning of this conflict, the committees decided to rescind the rule.

The other changes made to Rule 5 Section 11 in April remain intact. The men's committee agreed that in games not involving commercial electronic media, teams are entitled to four full-length timeouts and two 20-second timeouts. The two 20-second timeouts may be used at any time during the game.

In addition, in games involving commercial electronic media, men's teams are entitled to two full-length timeouts and three 20-second timeouts. Two of the three 20-second timeouts may be carried over from the first half to the second half.

The women's rules committee voted to allow teams one 20-second timeout per half.

The number of full-length timeouts allowed for women's teams remains at five in nontelevised games and three in televised games.