The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee has proposed several important changes for the 2019-20 season, including expanding the 3-point line.
If the changes are approved, the new line would be 22 feet and 1 3/4 inches, which would match the distance used in international basketball competition.
The 3-point line expansion was a primary focus of the 2019 NIT, where participating teams combined to shoot 33 percent from beyond the arc as compared to their regular season average of 35.2 percent.
NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee proposes moving the 3-point line to the international mark, changes to shot clock: https://t.co/wCANwWucHY
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) May 10, 2019
Here are the committee’s main points of emphasis with the proposal:
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.
Another important change being proposed is resetting the shot clock to only 20 seconds if a shot hits the rim and the team on offense grabs an offensive rebound in the frontcourt.
Other proposals being suggested by the committee include the use of replay review on a basketball interference or goaltending call, which should make Kentucky head coach John Calipari after a controversial sequence in the team’s game against LSU this past season:
The committee recommended players be assessed a Flagrant 2 technical foul and ejected should they use derogatory language about an opponent’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
The committee recommended allowing coaches to call live-ball timeouts in the last two-minutes of the second half and the last two minutes of any overtime periods. Currently, coaches aren’t allowed to call any live-ball timeouts during the game.
The committee recommended that during the last two minutes of the second half or the last two minutes of any overtime, instant replay review can be conducted if a basket interference or goaltending call has been made.
The Playing Rules Oversight Panel is set to decide on the recommendations on June 5.
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.