The best action from above the rim in the 2019 NCAA tourament The best action from above the rim in the 2019 NCAA tourament The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee on Friday proposed moving the 3-point line to the international basketball distance of 22 feet, 1¾ inches. If the recommendation is approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel on June 5, the rule would be effective for the 2019-20 season in Division I. Due to the potential financial impact, the new 3-point line would go into effect for the 2020-21 season in Divisions II and III. Committee members proposed the rules change after receiving positive feedback from the annual rules survey and from coaches whose teams competed in the 2018 and 2019 National Invitation Tournament, where the international 3-point distance was used on an experimental basis. The committee cited the following rationale for extending the line: Making the lane more available for dribble/drive plays from the perimeter. Slowing the trend of the 3-point shot becoming too prevalent in men’s college basketball by making the shot a bit more challenging, while at the same time keeping the shot an integral part of the game. Assisting in offensive spacing by requiring the defense to cover more of the court. “After gathering information over the last two seasons, we feel it’s time to make the change,” said Tad Boyle, committee chair and coach at Colorado. “Freedom of movement in the game remains important, and we feel this will open up the game. We believe this will remove some of the congestion on the way to the basket.” Teams in the 2019 NIT averaged 23.1 field goal attempts in the tournament from behind the arc, compared with 22.8 3-point attempts in the 2018-19 regular season. The 3-point shooting percentage of teams in the 2019 NIT was 33%, compared with their regular season average of 35.2%. When the line was moved before the 2008-09 season, the distance went from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches. The percentage of 3-point shots made during that season compared with the previous season declined from 35.2% to 34.4%. The percentage of made 3-point field goals steadily increased back to 35.2% in Division I by the 2017-18 season. Shot clock reset The committee also recommended resetting the shot clock at 20 seconds after a field goal attempt hits the rim and the offensive team rebounds the ball in the front court. The proposal was made to enhance the pace of the game. The committee decided a full 30-second shot clock is not needed because the offensive team is already in the front court after securing the rebound. This was an experimental rule in the 2019 NIT, as well. Other proposals<doc-sep>Mitchell Layton/Getty Images The NCAA men's basketball rules committee issued a series of proposals Friday for the 2019-20 college basketball season, headlined by moving the three-point line back to the distance used by FIBA for international games (22'1¾"), per NCAA.com. Other proposals include a shot clock reset to 20 seconds rather than the full 30 seconds on an offensive rebound, a flagrant-2 technical foul and ejection for derogatory language toward an opponent, giving coaches the option to call live-ball timeouts during the last two minutes or overtime and the ability for referees to review possible basket interference or goaltending calls in the final two minutes or OT. The men's college game used a three-point line of 20'¾" during the 2018-19 season. Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle, who serves as chairman of the rules committee, said in the announcement that moving the line back would create more space offensively while also altering the overdependent nature of teams on outside shooting. "After gathering information over the last two seasons, we feel it's time to make the change," he said. "Freedom of movement in the game remains important, and we feel this will open up the game. We believe this will remove some of the congestion on the way to the basket." Video Play Button Videos you might like The committee felt comfortable moving forward with the changes after the increased three-point line was tested during the 2018 and 2019 NIT events. The minor shot-clock alteration was also evaluated during the 2019 NIT. All five rules will be voted on by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel on June 5. If approved, they will go into effect immediately for next season at the Division I level, while waiting an extra year until the 2020-21 campaign for Division II and Division III. In April, George Schroeder of USA Today noted a new record for three-point shots attempted was set during the 2019 NCAA tournament, and it only took until the Elite Right to do it. Whether moving the line back would reverse that trend is unclear as basketball as a whole has moved more toward threes and shots in the paint, making the mid-range game a lost art.<doc-sep>
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA men’s basketball rules committee is proposing moving the 3-point line to the international distance and resetting the shot clock to 20 seconds following offensive rebounds. Both rules could take effect next season in Division I. College basketball’s other two divisions would wait until 2020-21 to move the 3-point line because of the cost. The Playing Rules Oversight Panel will vote on the recommendations June 5. Rules committee members made their proposals after receiving feedback from the coaches who competed in the NIT each of the past two years, which used the international line on an experimental basis. The international 3-point distance is 22 feet, 1.75 inches, a little more than a foot back from the current college line. “Freedom of movement in the game remains important, and we feel this will open up the game,” said Colorado coach Tad Boyle, the committee’s chairman. “We believe this will remove some of the congestion on the way to the basket.” The line moved out a foot to 20 feet, 9 inches before the 2008-09 season. The NCAA said the 3-point percentage dipped from 35.2% in 2007-08 to 34.4% in 2008-09 with that change, though it eventually climbed back to 35.2% in Division I by the 2017-18 season. The proposal for the shot-clock change was designed to improve the pace of the game, with the NCAA stating the committee believes the full 30-second clock isn’t needed when the offensive team securing the rebound already is in the front court. As with the current rule, the clock reset would take place only when a shot has hit the rim. The committee also proposed: — Assessing Flagrant 2 fouls, which include ejections, if derogatory epithets are used. — Allowing coaches to call live-ball timeouts during the final two minutes of regulation or overtime. — Expanding replay reviews to include basket interference or goaltending calls in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime.