NBA Announces Rule Changes for the 2011-12 season

[fluid.forty.one]

NBA Announces Rule Changes for the 2011-12 season

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/73...-fouls-2011-12

NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson confirmed Wednesday that several new rule interpretations will be a point of emphasis for the league's referees when the regular season begins on Dec. 25.

"Rip-through" moves, in which an offensive player swings the ball into a defender's outstretched arm and then attempts a shot once he has created contact, will be considered non-shooting fouls if the contact begins before the offensive player starts his shooting motion.

Also, on drives to the basket, a shooting foul will be called only if contact occurs after the offensive player has begun his shooting motion, not after he has initiated his leap toward the basket.

"Certain types of contact involving the shooter were all being called in his favor," Jackson said. "It doesn't look good for the game. There was a strong feeling that those types of plays were creating an ill-advised reward for the shooter, often with three free throws."

The league will also make traveling in the post and on the perimeter a point of emphasis, with a player hopping off of and landing on the same foot viewed as an automatic violation. Referees will also consider locking or clamping an opponent's arm or hand under the basket while battling for a rebound and discontinued or hesitation dribbles as automatic violations.

Several rule changes will also be introduced, most to shorten the overall length of games and speed up the final minutes of a contest:

• Substitutions will only be allowed before the final free throw of any trip to the line that is not for a technical or flagrant foul.

• Two horns will be sounded 15 seconds apart after every timeout. Teams whose players are not moving toward the court as soon as the second horn sounds will receive a delay-of-game warning.

• Instant replay will be utilized only during full timeouts, not 20-second timeouts, when necessary.

• Whether a player's foot is on the three-point line or midcourt line will be determined by where it last touched the floor, meaning a player could have a toe on the three-point line but if he leans back on his heels before he releases the ball a successful shot would be deemed a three-pointer.

• The eight-second backcourt violation will occur when the shot clock reaches 15 seconds, rather than 16.

The last rule is necessary because the 24-second shot clock will now be equipped to show 10ths for the final five seconds and work as a "true" clock. From a technical standpoint, the old shot clock began with 24.9 seconds and expired with .9 left. Now the clock will switch from 24 to 23 seconds after .1 second has expired.

Jackson said a survey of coaches determined when the shot clock would break into 10ths.

"We didn't want to run them for the whole 24 seconds and the consensus was, from a strategy standpoint, that the final five seconds were the most valuable," he said. "Before, you could have two seconds left on the shot clock but you wouldn't know if it was 2.9 or 2.1. That makes a big difference."

Referees also will be hyper-vigilant about defenders making contact with offensive players when they're in the air and fully extended attempting to score. In most cases, expect that kind of foul to draw a Flagrant Level 2, which is two free throws, possession of the ball and the defender being ejected.

"That type of contact was a trend last season and it's really dangerous," Jackson said.

[dirt_dobber]

Will the new "Rip-through" moves be called the "Kevin Durant" rule?

[xrobx]

and just like that, kevin durant's stock plummets

[sefant77]

RIP Kevin Martin career. You had a good run.

No wonder pierce wanted to decertify, he lost his whole offense in the new cba!

Im wondering if the refs will have the nuts to call all the travels on the Heat...

[Sportstudi]

Originally Posted by sefant77

Im wondering if the refs will have the nuts to call all the travels on the Heat...

Probably not. It's their cash cow, they won't try to do anything which could harm LeChoke's and D-Whistle's stats.

[tsar]

I really like most of these rule changes.

[Alykhan04]

Originally Posted by tsar

I really like most of these rule changes.

I do too, but I don't think the rules themselves have ever been a major problem. It's usually the execution of the rules by the referees.

[Lor20]

the problem i see with the rip through is that it shouldnt be called a foul at all... just calling it a non-shooting foul just means it wont be as big a factor but whenever someone is in the penalty it'll be just as annoying as before. It'll defeinetly cost KD 3 or so points a game though.

[SMC0007]

They just added another rule that you can not perform a one legged fade away jumper if you are over 7 feet tall. The Dirk rule.

Also, Didn't Aaron Brooks do the rip thru move a lot too? Something about that guy made me think he was a son of a bitch.

[Kidd Karma]

Is that double horn after each timeout pointed at Kidd? I remember reading he has this thing about not moving when everyone else gets back on the court, because he knows actual play won't start for another x seconds, so he's clocking and guesses he's saving some gas. Or are they trying to reduce the actual time of the game....get rid of the freaking TV timeouts if that is the case.

[sefant77]

Originally Posted by Lor20

the problem i see with the rip through is that it shouldnt be called a foul at all... just calling it a non-shooting foul just means it wont be as big a factor but whenever someone is in the penalty it'll be just as annoying as before. It'll defeinetly cost KD 3 or so points a game though.

Nah, the defender isnt supposed to have his hands in this "area of air" so still a call. But at least not anymore this moronic FT rewarding...

[DirkFTW]

[dirno2000]

Originally Posted by sefant77

Nah, the defender isnt supposed to have his hands in this "area of air" so still a call. But at least not anymore this moronic FT rewarding...

If the defender can't have his hand in the area of air then why isn't he called for a foul? That's what i've never understood about how the rip move is called. If i'm in a legal defensive position then i'm, by extension, entitled to that space and I shouldn't be called for a foul if you take it to shoot the ball. It should be your job to avoid me.

If i'm standing outsite of the charge line you can't run over me to shoot a layup. What's the difference?

[Dirkadirkastan]

In theory this would have a significant impact on what constitutes a continuation, would it not?

[Lor20]

Originally Posted by sefant77

Nah, the defender isnt supposed to have his hands in this "area of air" so still a call. But at least not anymore this moronic FT rewarding...

well... sort of - but i think the refs need to take into account whether there is a serious attempt at a play or just "drawing a foul". That whole expession shows how stupid it is. you shouldnt be able to draw a foul.. it should only be a foul if the other guy initiates the contact

[Lor20]

double click...