Board, the highest executive body of the International Basketball
Federation, met Friday 25th April and Saturday 26th April, in Beijing, China. The Central Board has taken some major and historic decisions
as with regards to the game rules. Upon recommendation of the
FIBA Technical Commission (a group of experts that deal with the game
rules), the FIBA Central Board has approved today several amendments to
the Official Basketball Rules. The recommendations by the FIBA
Technical Commission and the decisions taken by the Central Board were
strived by the attempt to further unify all existing game rules and to
have, in the future, only one set of rules for the game of basketball
worldwide. Please find below a summary of all approved rule changes,
which include historic amendments like the extension of the 3-point
line (in place since 1984) and the change of the trapezoid restricted
area (in place since the 1950s) to a rectangular one:
OFFICIAL
BASKETBALL RULES 2008:
All below-mentioned rules will come into effect
as of 1st October 2008, i.e. after the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Art.
4.3 Uniforms. The provision that T-shirts may be worn by players under
their game uniforms is not valid anymore.
Art. 25.2.3 Player falling on
the floor. It is legal when a player falls and slides on the floor while
holding the ball.
Art. 28.1.3 Ball goes into team’s frontcourt. The ball
goes to the teams’ frontcourt when, during the dribble from backcourt
to frontcourt, both feet of the dribbler and the ball are in contact
with the frontcourt.
Art. 30.1.2 Ball returned to the backcourt. It will
not be a violation anymore if a player, who jumps from his frontcourt,
establishes a new team control while still airborne and then lands in
his team’s backcourt.
Art. 31 Goaltending and interference. If a player
reaches through the basket from below and touches the ball, it is an
interference (and not a simple violation) with all the relevant rule
consequences.
Art. 36.1.4 Unsportsmanlike foul. If a defensive player
causes contact with an opponent from behind or laterally in an attempt
to stop a fast break and there is no opponent between the offensive
player and the opponents’ basket, then the contact shall be judged to
be unsportsmanlike.
Art. 38.3.1 Technical foul. A technical foul can be
called on a player for excessive swinging of elbows (without contact).
OFFICIAL BASKETBALL RULES 2010:
The below mentioned rule amendments
will come into effect as follows:
- For high level competitions/Level 1
(main FIBA official competitions: i.e. Olympic Tournaments, World
Championships for Men and Women, U19 and U17 World Championships for
Men and Women and Zone/Continental Championships for Men and Women): as
of 1st October 2010, i.e. after the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
- For
medium level competitions/Level 2 (i.e. all other FIBA official
competitions and the high level competitions of the national
federations): as of 1st October 2012, i.e. after the London 2012
Olympic Games.
Art. 2.2.3 Free-throw lines and restricted areas. The
restricted areas shall be the floor rectangle areas marked on the
playing court. The restricted (three-second) area shall be a rectangle
(not anymore a trapezoid) as per the diagram below.
Art. 2.2.4
Three-point field goal area. The distance of the three-point line shall
be 6.75 m (and not 6.25 m as present).
Art. 2.2.6 Throw-in side lines.
The two (2) small lines shall be marked outside the court, on the
opposite side of the scorer’s table and the team bench areas, with the
outer edge at the distance of 8.325 m from the inside edge of the end
lines; in other words, level to the top of the three-point line. During
the last two (2) minutes of the game and of the extra period, following
the time-out granted to the team that has been entitled to the
possession of the ball from its backcourt, the subsequent throw-in will
be taken on the opposite side of the scorer’s table from the “throw-in
side line” and not as presently from the centre line extended.
Art.
2.2.7 No-charge semicircles. The no-charge semicircles shall be marked
on the playing court, under the baskets. The distance of the inner edge
of the semicircles shall be 1.25 m from the centre of the basket (on
the floor). A charging (offensive) foul should never be called if the
contact by the offensive player is with the defensive player standing
within the no-charge semicircle.
Art. 29 Twenty-four seconds. If the
throw-in is to be administered in the backcourt, if required by the
respective rules, the 24 second device shall be reset to 24 seconds. If
the throw-in is to be administered in the frontcourt, if required by
the respective rules, the 24-second device shall be reset as follows: -
If 14 seconds or more are displayed on the 24-second device at the time
the game was stopped, the 24-second device shall not be reset and shall
remain the same. - If 13 seconds or less are displayed on the 24-second
device at the time the game was stopped, the 24-second device shall be
reset to 14 seconds.
For a clearer visualization of the first four
changes above, please refer to the below comparative diagram. Hover your mouse on the below play buttons to see the differences.
{swfremote}http://i.usatoday.net/sports/graphics/new_international_court/flash.swf{/swfremote}
