The NCAA announced new experimental rules in men’s basketball on Tuesday, which will drastically change how the final two minutes of games are officiated.
The new rules, applicable only to Big Ten and Mid-American teams during inter-conference matchups, give head coaches the option to challenge an official’s ruling during a play in the restricted area – such as a charge or goaltending call. Like the NFL, should a coaches challenge fail, a timeout will be charged. If it succeeds, the call will be reversed and no timeout will be taken away.
Here’s the full slate of new rules from the NCAA.
- Instant replay can be used only in the last two minutes of the second half or the last two minutes of any overtime period.
- Instant replay may be used only when an official has made a block/charge call in or around the restricted area arc, and the decision is based on whether the defensive player was in or outside the arc. Instant replay may not be used on no-calls.
- Any review, whether by the officials or a coach’s appeal, must be recognized and corrected before the ball next becomes live.
The new attempt seems like a reasonable solution to blown calls late in games. Coaches won’t be allowed to challenge every single bad call, but only important, potentially game-ending ones in the final two minutes. Complaints will be made more replays will slow the game down, but if it means calls are right when it matters most, it’s a fair tradeoff.
[NCAA]
