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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Basketball rules panel adjusts three-point distance for 2008-09
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By Greg Johnson
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
After years of study and consideration, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee recommended extending the three-point line to 20 feet, 9 inches, starting with the 2008-09 season. The proposal, which will move the line back one foot from its current distance, and all recommendations from the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules Committees, which met May 1-3 in Indianapolis, are not final until approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which will meet by conference call May 25.
One of the factors the rules committee reviews after every season is shooting percentages from all areas of the court. In 2006-07, Division I men’s teams combined to shoot 35 percent from behind the arc. In doing so, teams made an average of 6.6 three-pointers on 18.9 attempts per game. Both are all-time highs since the rule was implemented in the 1986-87 season.
“One of the things that began to concern us as far back as 10 years ago was when the shooting percentage for three-point shots was 33 percent, which is equal to 50 percent on two-point field goals,” said Larry Keating, men’s chair and senior associate athletics director at the University of Kansas. “When you are at 35 percent, now you are talking about being equal to a two-point percentage of around 52 percent.”
The committee believes moving the line back also will improve the “spacing” of the game. Defenders guarding offensive players near the lane will have farther to go to cover a shooter.
“Hopefully, this will clean up the banging, pushing and shoving inside,” Keating said. “There has been a tremendous amount of data collection and discussion on this issue and we believe this is the best option for the game.”
Keating said the committee did not act hastily — members consider every aspect of the game when deciding that type of recommendation.
“You have to consistently look at offensive and defensive balance,” Keating said. “That’s critical. Some people think it’s great to watch a lot of three-point attempts, but as a committee member, you don’t want it to become a three-point shooting match.”
The Women’s Basketball Rules Committee voted to maintain the current three-point line, which is 19 feet, 9 inches, from the basket.
“Our committee supports the efforts of the men’s committee to improve its game,” said Ronda Seagraves, chair of the women’s committee and associate athletics director at Southwestern University (Texas). “At this time, the current court dimensions are meeting the needs of the women’s game, and we did not feel a change would be good for our game.”
The proposed change to the three-point line comes after the 20th anniversary of its implementation. The men’s committee began studying a longer three-point shot in 1996 with an experimental rule. Since then, the committee has tested the line at both 20 feet, 6 inches (the distance used in international competition), and 20 feet, 9 inches. Experimental data collected by the men’s committee over the last decade indicate that shooting percentages should not change drastically with the extended distances.
“Since the three-point line was implemented, the game has changed,” Keating said. “The student-athletes are bigger and stronger and we need to adjust for that. The data we have collected since 1996 helped the committee make an informed decision.”
The one-year implementation period is required by the NCAA to allow for member institutions to make adjustments to their court markings. Playing rules are the same for Divisions I, II and III.
The women’s committee approved its points of emphasis for the upcoming season. Displacement, traveling, unsportsmanlike behavior and legal guarding position are the areas the committee will direct women’s officials to pay particular attention to next season.
On the men’s side, the committee will focus on the block or charge call, particularly near the goal; coaches’ behavior and enforcement of the coaching box; rough post play; and palming the ball.
In other significant men’s actions, the committee:
The women’s committee approved a recommendation to rewrite rules covering technical fouls. The guideline about the legal guarding position under the basket will be deleted, making the legal guarding position the same for the entire court.
One of the factors the rules committee reviews after every season is shooting percentages from all areas of the court. In 2006-07, Division I men’s teams combined to shoot 35 percent from behind the arc. In doing so, teams made an average of 6.6 three-pointers on 18.9 attempts per game. Both are all-time highs since the rule was implemented in the 1986-87 season.
“One of the things that began to concern us as far back as 10 years ago was when the shooting percentage for three-point shots was 33 percent, which is equal to 50 percent on two-point field goals,” said Larry Keating, men’s chair and senior associate athletics director at the University of Kansas. “When you are at 35 percent, now you are talking about being equal to a two-point percentage of around 52 percent.”The committee believes moving the line back also will improve the “spacing” of the game. Defenders guarding offensive players near the lane will have farther to go to cover a shooter.
“Hopefully, this will clean up the banging, pushing and shoving inside,” Keating said. “There has been a tremendous amount of data collection and discussion on this issue and we believe this is the best option for the game.”
Keating said the committee did not act hastily — members consider every aspect of the game when deciding that type of recommendation.
“You have to consistently look at offensive and defensive balance,” Keating said. “That’s critical. Some people think it’s great to watch a lot of three-point attempts, but as a committee member, you don’t want it to become a three-point shooting match.”
The Women’s Basketball Rules Committee voted to maintain the current three-point line, which is 19 feet, 9 inches, from the basket.
“Our committee supports the efforts of the men’s committee to improve its game,” said Ronda Seagraves, chair of the women’s committee and associate athletics director at Southwestern University (Texas). “At this time, the current court dimensions are meeting the needs of the women’s game, and we did not feel a change would be good for our game.”
The proposed change to the three-point line comes after the 20th anniversary of its implementation. The men’s committee began studying a longer three-point shot in 1996 with an experimental rule. Since then, the committee has tested the line at both 20 feet, 6 inches (the distance used in international competition), and 20 feet, 9 inches. Experimental data collected by the men’s committee over the last decade indicate that shooting percentages should not change drastically with the extended distances.
“Since the three-point line was implemented, the game has changed,” Keating said. “The student-athletes are bigger and stronger and we need to adjust for that. The data we have collected since 1996 helped the committee make an informed decision.”
The one-year implementation period is required by the NCAA to allow for member institutions to make adjustments to their court markings. Playing rules are the same for Divisions I, II and III.
The women’s committee approved its points of emphasis for the upcoming season. Displacement, traveling, unsportsmanlike behavior and legal guarding position are the areas the committee will direct women’s officials to pay particular attention to next season.
On the men’s side, the committee will focus on the block or charge call, particularly near the goal; coaches’ behavior and enforcement of the coaching box; rough post play; and palming the ball.
In other significant men’s actions, the committee:
- Voted to eliminate the first lane space nearest the basket on each side of the lane and use the present second, third and fourth lane space on each side of the lane as an alignment for free throws.
- Will allow the use of the courtside monitor to determine whether a flagrant foul occurred and require the use of the monitor to assess the situation if a fight is declared.
The women’s committee approved a recommendation to rewrite rules covering technical fouls. The guideline about the legal guarding position under the basket will be deleted, making the legal guarding position the same for the entire court.
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