The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee at its meeting this week in Indianapolis proposed changes to help enhance the flow of the game for the 2025-26 season.
Recommendations include a coach’s challenge at any point in a game to review out-of-bounds calls, basket interference/goaltending and whether a secondary defender was in the restricted-area arc. Committee members also recommended modifications to the rule on continuous motion on field goal attempts.
Other enhancements to help with the flow of the game included new emphasis for the basketball officials for 2025-26. Points of emphasis will include directives to address delay-of-game tactics, limit time spent at the monitor, improve game administration efficiency and reduce physicality.
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel must approve all rule proposals before they become official. The panel is scheduled to discuss men’s basketball rules proposals June 10.
Under the coach’s challenge proposal, teams must have a timeout to request an instant replay review challenge.
If the instant replay review challenge is successful, teams would be allowed to have one additional video review challenge for the rest of the game, including overtime.
If the first video review challenge is unsuccessful, the team loses the ability to challenge the rest of the game.
Officials could initiate video reviews on basket interference/goaltending and restricted arc plays in the last two minutes of the game and into overtime. Recent data shows these reviews caused minimal game interruptions. The committee believes the coach’s challenge will have a significant impact on the flow of the game. Officials could not initiate video review on out-of-bounds calls unless through a coach’s challenge.
“The committee focused on the flow of the game, especially the increased number of stoppages at the end of the game, this past season,” said Karl Hicks, committee chair and associate commissioner for basketball at the American Athletic Conference. “After soliciting input from the Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, Division I Men’s Basketball Competition Committee and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, prioritizing the game flow at the end of the game was particularly important for our committee.
“Coach’s challenges were deemed to be the most efficient way to accomplish this goal. Data from the NCAA tournament and membership conferences showed a substantial number of reviews were on out-of-bounds plays. The committee looked at other basketball leagues around the world to see what the best solution would be for the NCAA.”
The coach’s challenge, however, does not impact the NCAA officials’ voluntary use of instant replay for timing mistakes, scoring errors, shot clock violations, 2-point versus 3-point field goal attempts, flagrant fouls, etc.
Considering the decisions made this week, the committee had conversations about ways to continue this direction in the upcoming years, which includes positive momentum for moving the men’s game from halves to quarters. The committee realizes there are hurdles to implementing the quarter format to the game, including the structuring of media timeouts to accommodate commercial inventory.
The committee recommends NCAA Division I conferences create a joint working group to provide feedback on the potential change from halves to quarters.
That change if it occurs is likely a couple years away. The Men’s Basketball Rules Committee would like to have feedback from the conferences by the next rules change year.
Under the recommendations to modify the continuous motion rule, an offensive player, who ends his dribble going toward the basket and absorbs contact from the defense, would be permitted to pivot or complete the step the player is on and finish the field goal attempt.
“Our players are sophisticated, and the committee felt we were penalizing offensive players who made really good moves,” Hicks said. “We want to bring our game in line by what other levels of basketball are doing. When I say other levels, that includes the high school level. Their rule is more liberal than our college rules when it comes to shooting the ball. Hopefully, we won’t see as many officials waiving off baskets that will now be considered part of the shot.”
Currently, players are credited with field goals only when they are fouled while shooting the basketball.
Other proposals
- Officials would have the option to call a Flagrant 1 foul when a player is contacted to the groin. A Flagrant 1 foul results in two free throws for the offended team and possession of the ball. Currently, officials can only call a common foul or deem it a Flagrant 2 foul, in which the player receives an ejection, and the offended team receives two free throws and possession of the ball.
- If a player uses the rim to gain an advantage, it would be a basket interference violation.
- If one of the shot clocks becomes inoperable, the shot clock at the other basket would be allowed to remain on. Currently, both clocks would be shut off until both are operable.
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