MN Daily: Column: New hand-check rule good for college game, ya feel me?

[BleedGopher]

per the Daily:

They’ve already tried to take contact out of college football, now they’re doing the same thing with basketball. And it’s the right call.

This year, the NCAA’s Men’s Basketball Rules Committee voted to pass new rules banning hand or forearm contact in effect for the 2013-14 season.

The ban is designed “to create offensive flow,” according to an NCAA release. So far, it’s done everything but that. Still, in time, these new rules will make college basketball more watchable.

But for the next month, fans will need to bear with refs who are also adjusting to the rules.

Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.

Ya feel me?

http://www.mndaily.com/sports/mens-...-hand-check-rule-good-college-game-ya-feel-me

Go Gophers!!

 

[mnsportsgeek]

No. These rules have ruined the game.

 

[AO54]

Some refs just love to blow the whistle. You shouldn't have to take a charge with your hands tied behind your back. If the offensive player is moving towards you, you should have the right to have your hands in front of your body. As long as there is no pushing/holding/hacking the whistle shouldn't blow.

 

[Gold Vision]

Can you not use your forearm when you're guarding a guy with his back to the basket?

 

[SelectionSunday]

I haven't been pleased with all the fouls being called -- a lot of them seem very ticky-tack -- but I'm going to give these "new" rules emphases a chance to work. Need to give it some time.

Hoping the coaches and players adapt to the tighter whistles, because if they don't it's going to be a long season. Nobody goes to watch referees blow their whistles for 2.5 hour games that have a steady stream to the free-throw line.

 

[From the Barn]

It is very college journalism to ruin a good article with a bad catch phrase at the end.

 

[march madness]

Anyone feel these new rules will hamper the Big Ten teams who are more physical when it comes to tourney time? We typically have less McDonald's all-americans than the other conferences and win based on determination and grit.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Anyone feel these new rules will hamper the Big Ten teams who are more physical when it comes to tourney time? We typically have less McDonald's all-americans than the other conferences and win based on determination and grit.

I would agree with you if not for Wisconsin and Michigan State beating #11 and #1 respectively.

 

[mcal24]

I haven't been pleased with all the fouls being called -- a lot of them seem very ticky-tack -- but I'm going to give these "new" rules emphases a chance to work. Need to give it some time.

Hoping the coaches and players adapt to the tighter whistles, because if they don't it's going to be a long season. Nobody goes to watch referees blow their whistles for 2.5 hour games that have a steady stream to the free-throw line.

Agree with you, slows the game down way too much. I don't want College BBall to turn into the NBA either, no defense on either end...

 

[Gopherguy0723]

This article is exactly right. Many of you are overreacting. You'll like the product when teams figure out what they cannot get away with. Until then, have some patience. The immediate gratification that many people need these days is annoying.

 

[mplarson7]

This article is exactly right. Many of you are overreacting. You'll like the product when teams figure out what they cannot get away with. Until then, have some patience. The immediate gratification that many people need these days is annoying.

This is along the lines of what I was thinking. I was under the impression that these rules were already in place, they just weren't being enforced correctly anymore. I know while watching games with my parents, they always have issues with all the hand-checking that wasn't being called by the officials, saying "in our day that was a foul."

 

[upnorthkid]

Can you not use your forearm when you're guarding a guy with his back to the basket?

under the new rules, no you cannot. you cannot place your hands on them. happened a lot against kentucky last night.

 

[jaymil]

I like the new rules for the most part. The post defense forearm rule is debatable, but everything else should be good for the college game. The players will get used to it eventually and it will help in the long run. The game had gotten way too physical and EVERYTHING was being called a charge.

 

[mplarson7]

and EVERYTHING was being called a charge.

It's okay, I think good 'ole Mr. Hightower is retired finally. That'll take care of a good bit of that problem. And if I'm wrong...would someone come stab my eyes out for me?

 

[Dr.Don]

In regards to the "Ya feel me?" How can I feel ya, I gotta leave my hands off ya.

 

[cncmin]

It's okay, I think good 'ole Mr. Hightower is retired finally. That'll take care of a good bit of that problem. And if I'm wrong...would someone come stab my eyes out for me?

Yay, a plethora of ticky-tack free throws , lack of defense, and more excuses for favoritism. There's a reason why so many college fans hate the NBA, and the 3 above are among the main reasons.

Stupid.

 

[march madness]

I didn't look at the lines for the games, but I would fathom both were favored. But, good point, anyone can learn to adjust to new rules.

I would agree with you if not for Wisconsin and Michigan State beating #11 and #1 respectively.

 

[bleedgold]

As a fairly established basketball official for the last 10 years I do really believe once the teams get a better feel for what is and is not allowed not only are the fans going to see a better game but the players will enjoy the game much more. It may be easier to see while on the court but the amount fo clutching, holding, grabbing and bumping that was being allowed on PG's bringing the ball up the floor and trying to execute the pick and roll was extremely unfair to the offensive player.

The change to the block charge call has been needed for years. If you were watching closely last year during March Madness almost 70% of the block/charges called were called Charges. After further review there were a number of times the offensive player was starting his lay-up, gathering himself and about to take off prior to the defense being set, and once the player was airborne the defense becamse set and they called a charge. They are trying to give officials a longer time to view the play by making it so the defense has to be set PRIOR to the offensive player starting the attempt by gathering themselves. In theory we should be seeing more blocks and less charges this year.

 

[AO54]

As a fairly established basketball official for the last 10 years I do really believe once the teams get a better feel for what is and is not allowed not only are the fans going to see a better game but the players will enjoy the game much more. It may be easier to see while on the court but the amount fo clutching, holding, grabbing and bumping that was being allowed on PG's bringing the ball up the floor and trying to execute the pick and roll was extremely unfair to the offensive player.

The change to the block charge call has been needed for years. If you were watching closely last year during March Madness almost 70% of the block/charges called were called Charges. After further review there were a number of times the offensive player was starting his lay-up, gathering himself and about to take off prior to the defense being set, and once the player was airborne the defense becamse set and they called a charge. They are trying to give officials a longer time to view the play by making it so the defense has to be set PRIOR to the offensive player starting the attempt by gathering themselves. In theory we should be seeing more blocks and less charges this year.

How about swallowing your whistle once in a while? Far too many blocking calls are made when the offender is initiating contact. The defender doesn't need to have both feet nailed to the floor before the offensive player starts his attempt. The defender is often moving backwards away from the ballhandler and still gets the whistle. It also seems like far too many cleanly blocked shots are being called as fouls. Most refs allow the shooter to put one hand in the chest/face of the defender while scoring in the paint.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

And whatever changes are made in the rules, the average fan in the stands will sit there and scream at the refs while being totally ignorant to what the actual rules are.

This is probably more true at HS games. I go to a lot of HS games, and it makes me grind my teeth when I hear yahoos who have no idea of what the rule book says screaming at the refs. Bottom line - fans always want a game called in a way that favors their team. If they have a physical team, they don't want any fouls called. If they have a finesse team, they want everything called.

Disclaimer - I have a bias here - my brother is a registered official (although he's sitting out this season with a knee injury.)

 

[bemidjigopher]

It is very college journalism to ruin a good article with a bad catch phrase at the end.

Thank you someone else who finds it annoying!

 

[gopherhoopsguy]

under the new rules, no you cannot. you cannot place your hands on them. happened a lot against kentucky last night.

You can if he doesn't have the ball... you can play behind him with a forearm on his back with a bent elbow... as soon as he receives the ball your arm and hands have to come off of him.

 

[gopherhoopsguy]

I love to new rule changes this will improve the game... I hope pitino recruits to the new changes... u need guys who can slash and drive to the basket also guys who knock down free throws... also a center who can block shots...

Also teams that play great zone defenses like Syracuse will have and advantage by staying out of foul trouble.

 

[Dr.Don]

short ornery norwegian says: I hear yahoos who have no idea of what the rule book says screaming at the refs

That is because every biased fan in the stands yells for their own little pups.

 

[cncmin]

As a fairly established basketball official for the last 10 years I do really believe once the teams get a better feel for what is and is not allowed not only are the fans going to see a better game but the players will enjoy the game much more. It may be easier to see while on the court but the amount fo clutching, holding, grabbing and bumping that was being allowed on PG's bringing the ball up the floor and trying to execute the pick and roll was extremely unfair to the offensive player.

The change to the block charge call has been needed for years. If you were watching closely last year during March Madness almost 70% of the block/charges called were called Charges. After further review there were a number of times the offensive player was starting his lay-up, gathering himself and about to take off prior to the defense being set, and once the player was airborne the defense becamse set and they called a charge. They are trying to give officials a longer time to view the play by making it so the defense has to be set PRIOR to the offensive player starting the attempt by gathering themselves. In theory we should be seeing more blocks and less charges this year.

There's little more frustrating than being a defender in basketball and guarding a guy who lowers his shoulder into the defender and, because the defender was appropriately shuffling feet into position, or perhaps even moving backwards away from the ball handler, the defender was still moving and received a "blocking foul". Another example - defender stands like a statue near the bucket on a fast break, hands straight up. The ball handler makes a last-second shift to avoid plowing through the defender straight-on, and, because the ball handler clips the defender's hip instead, even though the defender still hasn't flinched, if it's not a straight-on hit it's still usually called a blocking foul. Really. Nevermind that the offensive player was the one initiating contact against a defender who fully established position.

The fact that over the past half-decade or so defenders actually had a chance against those offensive players who simply put their head down and proceed was the best thing I've experienced as a basketball fan in a long time. The end to the days when a Shaquille O'Neal could drive a shoulder and plant Rasho Nesterovic's nose on the back of his head for an "and-1" couldn't have come soon enough.

Officials may - to avoid stopping the clock every few seconds - call the hand check calls out of adherence to the new rule but stop calling other fouls that are much more deserved. Let's hope it doesn't get to the point where the game stops more than it does already. What the college and pro game needs is less whistle blowing (and other time stoppages), not more.

 

[die hard gopher]

my problem isn't that this will result in all kinds of blowing of the whistle, it will be a problem for me but my main problem is when they say "it will create better flow to the game" that just means speed it up, all transition, no big bruisers down low, no half court sets whatsoever, i don't want all of college basketball to be like that, i personally like having big physical tough back to the basket guys in the game of basketball, and i don't want all of college basketball to be Bo Ryan ball but i want diverse set of style's i don't want it to be all the same, like NFL offenses compared to college and high school ones, and of course rules like this is why Big Ten teams are so good in the regular season but never produce come tourney time, becuase tourney refs love to call all kinds of ticky tack fouls, just let them bang inside, and i don't know what i would do if they shrank the shot clock to 24 seconds, people wonder why there are no truly dominant back to the basket 7 foot centers anymore, well its that short shot clock, ya feel me?

 

[Gopherguy0723]

my problem isn't that this will result in all kinds of blowing of the whistle, it will be a problem for me but my main problem is when they say "it will create better flow to the game" that just means speed it up, all transition, no big bruisers down low, no half court sets whatsoever, i don't want all of college basketball to be like that, i personally like having big physical tough back to the basket guys in the game of basketball, and i don't want all of college basketball to be Bo Ryan ball but i want diverse set of style's i don't want it to be all the same, like NFL offenses compared to college and high school ones, and of course rules like this is why Big Ten teams are so good in the regular season but never produce come tourney time, becuase tourney refs love to call all kinds of ticky tack fouls, just let them bang inside, and i don't know what i would do if they shrank the shot clock to 24 seconds, people wonder why there are no truly dominant back to the basket 7 foot centers anymore, well its that short shot clock, ya feel me?

Your fears are completely unfounded. Basketball didn't used to be played like it has been for the past decade. Pre-2000s, basketball wasn't nearly as physical as it is today. You cannot tell me with a straight face that Wisconsin plays a good brand of basketball or a fun game of basketball, unless you cheer for Wisconsin.

The fact of the matter is, the product was better 10+ years ago and big men absolutely mattered. I can point to dozens of teams, both pro and college, that relied on good big men to win games when the game wasn't so terrible...er...physical. For college think Webber, Laetner, Rasheed Wallace, John Thomas, Elton Brand, Emeka Okafor, and plenty more. For the NBA, during the non-football era, you had Robinson, Kareem, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Olajuwon, Ewing, McHale, Parrish, Barkley, and so on. I really don't know what you're so worried about.

Besides, you're blaming the wrong element. It's the zone defense in the NBA that has created the stretch fours and and eliminated many of the bangers. The defense changed in the NBA, so the players necessary to beat the defense changed. Thus, more Dirks less Malones. Moreover, clutching, grabbing, and bumping in the lane has made it more difficult for big men in the paint. It's all about the defense. Get rid of all the bumping, grabbing, and zoning. That's when you'll see the old school big man come back in vogue.

No, I don't feel you. The shot clock didn't eliminate the big man. The defensive rules and physicality did.

 

[The Brain Trust]

Your fears are completely unfounded. Basketball didn't used to be played like it has been for the past decade. Pre-2000s, basketball wasn't nearly as physical as it is today. You cannot tell me with a straight face that Wisconsin plays a good brand of basketball or a fun game of basketball, unless you cheer for Wisconsin.

The fact of the matter is, the product was better 10+ years ago and big men absolutely mattered. I can point to dozens of teams, both pro and college, that relied on good big men to win games when the game wasn't so terrible...er...physical. For college think Webber, Laetner, Rasheed Wallace, John Thomas, Elton Brand, Emeka Okafor, and plenty more. For the NBA, during the non-football era, you had Robinson, Kareem, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Olajuwon, Ewing, McHale, Parrish, Barkley, and so on. I really don't know what you're so worried about.

Besides, you're blaming the wrong element. It's the zone defense in the NBA that has created the stretch fours and and eliminated many of the bangers. The defense changed in the NBA, so the players necessary to beat the defense changed. Thus, more Dirks less Malones. Moreover, clutching, grabbing, and bumping in the lane has made it more difficult for big men in the paint. It's all about the defense. Get rid of all the bumping, grabbing, and zoning. That's when you'll see the old school big man come back in vogue.

No, I don't feel you. The shot clock didn't eliminate the big man. The defensive rules and physicality did.

Too many egocentric people trying to tell others what style of basketball is right/wrong good/bad. Wisconsin plays hard, smart, successful basketball without having to recruit a plethora of 4 and 5 star kids (kudos to them) Before Bo they were playing "entertaining" loserville basketball. Unintended consequences of the new rules could lead to starters/stars getting into fall trouble, pressure defenses giving away to zone defenses. The Fact of the matter is the game is worse than ever now.