For years, collegiate basketball has distinguished itself from the professional ranks by adhering to a two halves rather than four quarters game format.
Come this season, that may no longer be the case.
In an effort to enhance the flow of the game and strengthen women's basketball globally, the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee proposed moving the game to four 10-minute quarters beginning next season. The current 20-minute halves structure has always been used in NCAA competition to date.
If approved, the four-quarter format will bring numerous other changes to the game.
The proposed changes would have a major impact on how teams get to the free-throw line. With the implementation of four quarters, teams would earn two shots from the charity stripe on the fifth team foul in a quarter and would continue to do so until fouls reset at the beginning of the next quarter—though fouls would not reset for overtime periods.
Speeding up the game and reducing the number of stoppages in play are other main goals of the changes. One such proposal is designed to reduce the number of timeouts from five to four in televised games—providing coaches with three 30-second timeouts and one 60-second timeout. Only two of the total four timeouts would be allowed to carry over into the second half.
The new format would also allow for just one media timeout per quarter at the first dead ball under the five-minute mark—with any timeout called before the five-minute mark being treated as the media timeout.
In an effort to add excitement to offensive possessions at the end of games, the rules committee has proposed allowing teams to advance the ball to the front court following timeouts after made baskets in the final minute of the fourth quarter and overtime. With teams being allowed to inbound from the 28-foot mark near the scorer's table as opposed to having to travel the length of the court, the committee is looking to eradicate desperation half-court heaves on the final possession of games.
With several proposed changes to the format of the game, the committee did not forget to account for the fan experience at women's basketball games. A proposed rule change will allow amplified music or the band to play at any dead-ball situation instead of just during timeouts and halftime.
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel will discuss the proposed changes to women's college basketball June 8 via conference call.
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