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NCAA announces that experimental rules will be used during Postseason NIT

Rick Byrd

Rick Byrd

AP

With scoring in college basketball continuing to decrease, many have openly called for the NCAA and its rules makers to come up with solutions that will (hopefully) result in more possessions and more points being scored. One possible solution that has been suggested in the past is to decrease the shot clock from 35 to 30 seconds, which is what’s used in women’s college basketball.

Friday the NCAA announced that two experimental rules will be used during this year’s Postseason NIT, with the shot clock change being one of them. Also of note is the decision to move the restricted area arc under the basket out by a foot (four feet as opposed to three), with the going being to determine whether or not the number of collisions (block/charge situations) around the basket decrease as a result.

Making these moves in March will give the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee the opportunity to further evaluate these possible changes in game situations before making a decision as to whether or not changing these rules would improve the on-court product.

“The committee discussed both of these potential rule changes during its May 2014 meeting, knowing that the May 2015 meeting would be the committee’s next opportunity to make a change to either of these rules,” Belmont head coach Rick Byrd, who is chair of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee, said in the release.

“Although the committee will discuss a number of potential rules changes at the meeting, having specific data on these two rules should help the committee make a decision about whether such potential rule changes might further improve the flow and competitiveness of college basketball,” Byrd said.

In the past conferences have allowed their members to experiment with potential rules changes, with multiple leagues using a 30-second shot clock in exhibition games this season. But there is a difference between exhibitions (or the occasional in-season tournament, as has been the case in the past) and games that truly have an impact, so maybe using the NIT will help the committee come to a final decision on the shot clock and restricted area arc.