Proposed Rule Changes for College Basketball Approved

If you're a college basketball fan, you're going to see a lot of changes for the 2015-16 season.

Many are designed to speed up the game and increase scoring  Others will attempt to somewhat reduce the physicality of the game.

The changes include:

Reducing the shot clock to 30 seconds from the current 35.  This is the first change to the shot clock in two decades.  The 30 second clock was used in post season tournaments (NIT, CIT, CBI) this past season.  The women's game has already using the 30 second clock for many years.

Speaking of the shot clock, officials will now be able to use replay at any time during the game to determine if a shot clock violation occurred.  Previously, the review could only be used in the final two minutes.  This was brought into question during the Final Four when a violation appeared to have occurred but no action could be taken.

Teams will now be allowed four time outs during the course of the game.  Three of those time outs can be carried over to the second half.  This is a reduction of one time out per game.

In addition, if a time out is called within :30 seconds of a media time out, the time out will be a full time out and the media timeout (first dead ball under 16:00, 12:00,, 8:00 and 4:00) will be ignored.  This will get rid of the occasional "double time out" when a coach calls a :30 second time out and then a whistle forces the media time out just seconds later.

Coaches will now have 15 seconds in which to make a substitution after a player has fouled out.  The current rule is 20 seconds and most coaches are using that time for an extra time out.

Coaches will no longer be able to call timeouts from the bench during live action.  Rather, he must instruct a player to call the timeout.  This will put more burden on the player, especially when securing a loose ball on the floor or using a timeout in the backcourt if a player is in peril of a ten second violation.

Speaking of which, a timeout called while the ten second backcourt count is in force will no longer reset the 10 second count.  If a timeout is called after 7 seconds, the team must get the ball over midcourt in three seconds after the timeout.

The block/charge arc has been extended from three feet to four feet under the basket.  Any defensive player who sets up to take a charge, but is within the arc, ,shall automatically be charged with a blocking foul.  This is designed to reduce collisions under the basket.

The five second closely guarded rule has been eliminated.  It had previously been eliminated back in the 90's but reinstated after one season.

Officials will be looking more closely at "flopping" by a defensive player.  In addition, more emphasis will be placed on contact during defense, particularly when defending away from the ball.  This is to allow more freedom of movement by the offense.  This could also call for many more fouls being called while players and coaches adjust to the new rule.

Hanging on the rim and delay of game violations will now have one technical foul shot instead of two.  And, the prohibition of dunking during pre game warmups has been rescinded.

Lower level post season tournaments will increase the number of fouls for disqualification to six as an experiment.

The biggest change to the women's game is the institution of four, 10 minute quarters as opposed to two, 20 minute halves.  The double bonus will be enforced after the fifth foul in each quarter.  The "one and one" bonus has been eliminated.