4-17.4.d: Block/Charge Rule Change

The NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee has modified the rule for establishing a legal guarding position on block/charge scenarios starting in the 2023-2024 season. Under the new rule, to draw a charge a defender must be in position with planted feet at the time an offensive player plants a foot to go airborne when attempting a field goal. If the defender arrives after the offensive player plants a foot to launch towards the hoop, officials will call a block when contact occurs. The rule change also states that a secondary defender would have to be outside the restricted area arc to legally draw a charge. Under the previous rules, defenders had to be in position to draw a charge before the offensive player went airborne. Here's an outline of the new block/charge rule change as well as a listing of additional men's college basketball rule changes for the 2023-2024 season.

What Is The Block/Charge Rule Change?

For a guarding position to be legal, the defender's feet must be planted before the offensive player plants a foot to go airborne for a shot.
A legal guarding position under the old rule required that the defender's feet be planted prior to the offensive player going airborne.

Block/Charge Rule Change Rationale

To reduce the number of charges and collisions that occur around the basket by allowing the offensive player more time to adjust to defensive movements.

OTHER NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL RULE CHANGES

Rule 1-19-4: An optional rule will allow amber lights on the shot clock and an amber strip at the top of the backboard only to signal the end of a shot-clock period.
Rationale: To address games played in facilities with this equipment and provide another visual tool for officials to recognize when a shot-clock violation has occurred.

Rule 1-22.7: Players will be allowed to wear uniform numbers 0-99 and are permitted to wear religious headwear without a waiver of the playing rule provided it is safe for competition.
Rationale: To provide institutions with more uniform options without making previous uniforms illegal. It also eliminates the waiver process that was previously required for a student-athlete to wear religious headwear.

Rules 2-11.6.b and 2-11.6.c: Anytime the ball hits the rim (via a pass, deflection or shot) and the offense retains possession in the front court, the shot clock will reset to 20 seconds. Anytime the ball hits the rim and the offense retains possession in its backcourt, the shot clock will reset to 30 seconds.
Rationale: This change makes it easier for officials on the floor because they will no longer need to determine if the action is a legal try for goal or a pass (e.g., alley-oop plays).

Rule 5-14.1: When a coach requests an out of bounds play to be reviewed under two minutes in the second period and in the last two minutes of any extra period that team will be charged a timeout if the original call is not overturned.
Rationale: An out of bounds request is the only review that a coach can request in the last two minutes of the second period and in the last two minutes of any extra period that does not result in a charged timeout if not overturned

Rule 5-15.1.c: Allows a timeout to be granted when a player has possession of the ball even though the player is airborne.
Rationale: In the past, players were able to request a timeout while airborne. An example would be an airborne player grabbing a loose ball and calling timeout before landing out of bounds. The rules committee concluded that if a player had possession of the ball, they should be entitled to request a timeout.

Rule 10-1 PENALTY: If a player commits three flagrant 1 fouls in a game, the player will be disqualified.
Rationale: Flagrant 1 fouls are personal fouls that are deemed to be more serious than common fouls. Presently, it would be possible for a player to commit up to five Flagrant 1 fouls before disqualification. As such, the rules committee decided given the severity of flagrant fouls, Flagrant 1 fouls should not be treated the same as a common foul. (Note: Currently, any Flagrant 2 foul results in an automatic ejection).

Rule 10-4.2.d: An optional rule that allows preloaded/live video to be transmitted to the bench area.
Rationale: For the past two seasons, the rules committee permitted conferences to experiment with the transmission of live video data to the bench. This experimentation was met with positive feedback from the coaches and other stakeholders who utilized the rule.

Rule 10-4.2.j: Allows all non-student bench personnel to leave the bench area to assist in preventing a potential fight/altercation.
Rationale: Presently, only the head coach is permitted to leave the bench area to assist in preventing a potential fight/altercation. Depending on the situation, there may be bench personnel who are in a better position to prevent a fight/altercation from escalating.

Rule 11-2.1.b: Allows officials the opportunity to review goaltending/basket interference calls during the next media timeout to ensure the call was accurate so long as the official makes the goaltending/basket interference call on the floor. If there is a foul on the shooter while the ball is in the air with a goaltend/basket interference, the review will be immediate to properly adjudicate the potential free throws. (Note: Under four minutes remaining in the second period and the entire overtime period(s), these reviews will be conducted immediately).
Rationale: Goaltending/basket interference is one of the most challenging plays to officiate, and these violations directly result in either awarding or disallowing points. The rules committee concluded that it was imperative to review these plays. (Note: These reviews will be consistent with how officials currently review whether a successful try is a two- or a three-point try).

Rule 11-2-1.d.1: If a player is called for a foul, and upon Instant Replay the officials see that the foul is a direct result of a Flagrant 1 or Flagrant 2 foul committed against the player who was originally assessed a foul, officials may remove the original foul on the player who was flagrantly fouled
Rationale: This change will provide officials the opportunity to remove a foul from a player if they determine that the foul was a direct result of a player being flagrantly fouled (i.e. a defensive player is flagrantly pushed into the offensive player with the ball by another offensive player).