INDIANAPOLIS (AP) " Recommendations regarding defense under the basket and substitute free throw shooters for injured players have been made by the NCAA's Men's and Women's Basketball Rules Committee.
The committee met from Monday to Wednesday in Phoenix, and the recommendations for men's games only are subject to the approval of the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to meet via conference call on June 3.
The recommendation on play under the basket won't call for a restricted-area arc painted in the lane as the NBA has, but it prohibits a secondary defender from establishing position in the area from the front of the rim to the front of the backboard. A defender must establish position outside that area to draw a charge or player-control foul.
"In our surveys and rules forums, the coaches wanted the committee to address the increasing contact that seems to occur under the basket," NCAA Secretary-Rules Editor for Men's Basketball Ed Bilik said. "Instead of an experimental rule, this clarifies how officials are to call this play throughout the season."
In the proposal of substituting for a free throw shooter who has been injured, the opposing coach would choose the player to attempt the free throws from the four remaining players on the court.
"This rule change is intended to eliminate a team that is fouled from gaining an advantage that it does not deserve," said Dick Hack, chair of the men's committee and athletics director at New York-Maritime. "We believe this is a solid proposal that will not unduly penalize the team that was fouled."
In this year's NCAA tournament, Missouri coach Mike Anderson took advantage of the current rule to have freshman Kim English come off the bench to take two free throws for J.T. Tiller, who fell hard and hurt his right wrist when he was fouled with 5.5 seconds left and the second-round game against Marquette tied at 79.
English, who had played little in the second half, made both free throws and the Tigers went on to an 83-79 victory.
There was a recommendation for both men's and women's games that would officials to use a monitor to review a play and determine if a flagrant foul occurred. When a flagrant foul has not occurred, the committee would allow the officiating crew to penalize a player with an intentional personal or a technical foul for contact.