Rules change adopted for women's basketball

A major rules change is coming for women's college basketball beginning with the 2013-14 season.

Southeast Missouri State coach Ty Margenthaler figures it was long overdue.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel earlier this week approved a 10-second backcourt rule, which will be implemented for the first time since the NCAA began administering women's championships in 1981-82.

NCAA women's basketball is the only level in the sport throughout the world that did not have a backcourt rule in place. Previously, teams could take as much time off the 30-second shot clock as they wanted before crossing the midcourt line.

"I always did think it was a little odd that everybody else had the 10-second rule, even high school girls basketball had it, but we didn't," Margenthaler said. "I'm open to it. It's probably a good thing, now that all levels of basketball have it."

Officials will use the shot clock to determine if a 10-second violation has occurred.

The Women's Basketball Rules Committee believes adding the 10-second rule will increase the tempo of the game and create more offensive scoring opportunities.

"It's going to be interesting to see the effect it will have on our game. It might take a year or two to really see the effect," Margenthaler said. "It's different. ... It will help teams who defend, allow them to put early pressure on."

Margenthaler, laughing, said now some fans won't have to wonder what was going on when a team took more than 10 seconds to advance the ball past midcourt.

"I know some of the old-timers were still hollering '10-second'," Margenthaler said. "Some people who didn't attend many women's games might not even have known there was no 10-second."

Margenthaler said the change could have its biggest impact late during close games when a trailing team needs to try and force turnovers.

"Then you might really notice it," he said.

In general, emphasized Margenthaler, squads will need to prepare for the rule change.

"It's definitely something we'll work on in practice," he said. "I can see teams pressuring early and you have to be ready for it."

With the new 10-second rule for women, the five-second closely guarded rule in the backcourt is now eliminated from the rules book.

The closely guarded rule in the frontcourt remains; however, it has been changed to read, "A player holding the ball for five seconds with a defender not exceeding six feet will be a violation." Previously, the defender had to be within three feet of the offensive player with the ball to force a five-second violation.

Monitor reviews

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved monitor reviews for men's and women's basketball in the last two minutes of regulation and overtime so officials can look to see if a shot clock violation occurred and to determine who caused the ball to go out of bounds on a deflection involving two or more players.

Additionally, it was approved that when officials have a question as to whether a shot was a two-point or a three-point field goal, they will be allowed to signal to the scorer's table that the play will be reviewed during the next media timeout.

In the last four minutes of the game and the entire overtime, officials will go to the monitor immediately to look for indisputable evidence as to how many points should be awarded for a field goal.

In both men's and women's basketball, the use of the monitor was approved to determine which player committed a foul when there is uncertainty after a call has been made. Previously, officials were only permitted to use the monitor to determine the free-throw shooter.

Elbow rules

Also for men's and women's basketball, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a tweak to the rules regarding elbow contact above the shoulders.

Previously, if a player swung his elbow above his shoulders and made contact with an opposing player, a flagrant foul was automatic.

That will no longer be the case. Officials will be able to use the monitor to determine if the elbow contact was a flagrant 2, flagrant 1, common foul or no call.

When the officials use the monitor to review a situation that is not called on the floor, the only options are flagrant 2, flagrant 1 or no foul.

In a flagrant 1 situation, the player who was struck is awarded two free throws and her team gets possession of the ball.

In a flagrant 2 situation, free throws and possession are awarded and the player who threw the elbow is ejected from the game.