2017-2018 and 2018-2019 NCAA-Men Rule Changes


ncaa logo 2017-18 and 2018-19 Men's Basketball Rules Changes

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The following rules changes were approved by the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee and the Playing Rules Oversight Panel. They will be incorporated into the rules book for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.

NOTE: Rules changes that are shaded were adopted by both the Men's and the Women's Basketball Rules Committees.

# Rule Rules Change     ( Show Rationales) Rationale
1 Court Diagram To prohibit commercial advertising inside the 6-foot restraining area at each end line. To preserve a uniform and clean look on the floor. Any restraining area at each end line. institution that is contractually bound, as of June 13, 2017, to provide commercial advertising inside the 6-foot restraining area at an end line after the commencement of the 2017-18 season may honor such commitment until the expiration or termination of the institution's contract. Likewise, an institution may compete at a facility that is contractually bound, as of June 13, 2017, to provide commercial advertising inside the 6-foot restraining area after the commencement of the 2017-18 season until the expiration or termination of the facility's contract.
2 Rule 1-9.1 To extend the coaching box from 28' to 38' toward the division Line. To provide the head coach more space to coach their team, especially when play is at the opposite end of the court. At the same time, the goal will be to increase emphasis on penalizing a coach who illegally leaves the coaching box.
3 Rule 1-18.5 To permit LED lights at the scorer's table which are synchronized with the LED lights on the backboards and game clocks. To alert the officials, players and coaches when the game clock has stopped by mistake.
4 Rule 1-22.5 To permit words within the 15 percent tonal shift of the neutral zone(s) on the jersey. The institutional name, mascot, nicknames, logos, marks, and names intended to celebrate or memorialize persons, events, or other worthy causes are permitted. Commercial names, logos, marks, and slogans are prohibited. To clarify the existing rule.
5 Rule 1-22.7.d To change "American" flag to the national flag of the NCAA member institution. To recognize that there are NCAA member institutions outside of the United States
6 Rules 1-25 and 1-26 To prohibit logos of professional sports entities from appearing on any player's equipment and/or on items of apparel. To conform with current Bylaw 12.5.4.
7 Rule 2-11.6 When a foul is committed by the defense and the ball is to be inbounded in the front court, the shot clock shall be reset to 20 seconds, or the time remaining on the shot clock, whichever is greater. To increase the number of team possessions and improve the flow of the game.
8 Rule 3-6.1.j To permit a replaced player to re-enter the game when the opponents have committed a violation or foul before the game clock has been properly started. To correct an unintended consequence, which results in unfairness in the substitution rule.
9 Rules 3-6.3.f and 8-3.3 To allow only the injured player's substitute to shoot free throws when the injured player is unable to do so as the result of a flagrant foul or the player is bleeding from the injury. To correct inconsistency in who shall shoot free throws for a bleeding player.
10 Rules 4-9.2.d and 4-15.2.a.2 To delete "interrupted dribble" and other deflections from the team control definition, which would result in fouls committed during these types of loose balls to be considered as common fouls and not as team control fouls. To enhance the ability of the officials to determine the nature of the foul and resulting penalties.
11 Rules 4-10.2, 10-2.5 and 10-4.1.l To amend the current rule requiring warnings for delay penalties prior to assessing a technical foul. When a second delay is different from the first, a technical foul will be assessed for any further delay(s). When a team is warned for the same delay a second time, a technical foul will be assessed per the present Rule 4-10.2 To improve the flow of the game.
12 Rule 4-34.1 To add a requirement that the screener must be inbounds while setting a screen. To correct an omission of a current rule that fails to require a screener to be inbounds.
13 Rule 4-34.2.a To amend the definition of a legal screener by requiring that the inside of the screener's feet be no wider than the screener's shoulder width. To clarify the rule and make it consistent with the current coaching practices and enforcement.
14 Rules 5-3, 5-3.7 and 5-4 To clarify that a forfeit pertains only to one team and that in interrupted game situations, if the institutions and/or conferences cannot agree on a solution to determine the winner, the rules committee shall make the determination. To clarify current language regarding forfeits and to create a process for resolving situations when institutions and/or conferences cannot agree on the outcome of an interrupted game.
15 Rule 5-10.2 To amend the rule so that no less than .3 seconds must expire on the game clock when the ball is legally touched inbounds and the official immediately signals to stop the clock. To create a minimum standard for timing purposes when the ball has been legally touched.
16 Rules 5-14.10.c and .e To amend the current media timeout rule to require the timeout to occur "at or under the media mark times rather than just "under the media mark times." To make the rule consistent with the Rule 5-14.10.e.
17 Rule 7-4 To designate consistent throw in spots for all fouls and violations by the defense in the front court. Those spots shall be either the 28' mark or the line 3' outside the lane line depending on where the foul or violation occurred. All deflections shall be put in play at the point where the ball went out of bounds. To create consistency in the throw-in rule.
18 Rules 7-6.9 (add new .e) To allow an official to move a defender away from the boundary line when there is insufficient space for a throw-in. To codify an existing practice.
19 Rule 9-12.4 To permit either an offensive or defensive player to be the first to touch the ball in the backcourt when it has been deflected by the defense into the backcourt regardless of who was the last team to touch the ball before it went into the backcourt. To correct an unfairness in the current backcourt rule.
20 Rule 10-2.1 To amend the rule for failing to have all mandatory court markings to be an administrative technical foul (one free throw). To penalize teams that fail to have a legally marked court.
21 Rule 10-2.3.c To eliminate the requirement that officials enforce penalties for wearing an illegal uniform and place the responsibility with the violating team's conference. The officials will still have the responsibility for prohibiting equipment and apparel that the official deems dangerous to other players (per rule 1-26) as well as the responsibility to enforce contrasting uniform color and number rules. To reduce the official's responsibility for enforcing certain uniform rules and place the responsibility on the conference office.
22 Rules 10-2.6 and .7 To increase the penalty from one to two free throws for having more than five players on the court or for an excessive timeout. To make the penalty more appropriate to the seriousness of the violation.
23 Rules 10-4.1.e and .g To clarify that a player dunking the ball may hold on to the rim when potential for injury exists even though the player might commit another violation (e.g., goaltending) while holding the rim. To eliminate penalizing two separate violations on the same play.
24 Rule 11-2.1.c.1.c/AR 285 During the last two minutes of the second period and the last two minutes of all overtimes, to permit the game clock to be reset to the time of the actual shot clock violation instead of when the official signaled that the violation occurred. To simplify the amount of time to be placed back on the game clock when a shot-clock violation occurs.
25 Rule 11-2.1.e To permit instant replay reviews on certain Restricted Area Arc plays in the last two minutes of the second period and the last two minutes of all overtimes. To enhance the chances of correctly adjudicating game-deciding Restricted Area Arc plays near the end of the game.
26 Rule 11-2.1.d To permit instant replay review to determine if a foul occurred prior to a shot-clock violation. To enhance the chances of correctly adjudicating a difficult play.