May 31, 2011
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a number of rule changes that will impact men’s and women’s basketball for the 2011-12 season.
The panel announced the addition of a restricted-area arc for men’s and women’s basketball. The arc will be located three feet from the center of the basket and was put into place to limit the number of collisions near the basket.
Also changing is the naming of fouls. The term intentional foul has been eliminated and replaced with Flagrant 1. The current term of Flagrant foul will be replaced with the term Flagrant 2.
A foul involving elbow contact above the shoulders of an opponent and everything currently located under the intentional foul rule will be located under the term Flagrant 1. The penalty for a Flagrant 1 will be two free throws and the ball.
A Flagrant 2 foul will continue to carry a penalty of ejection and two free throws and the ball.
Also of note is a change to when a coach requests a monitor review for a flagrant foul. In the women’s game, a coach can request a review for a Flagrant 1 or 2 foul. In the men’s game, a coach can request a review for a Flagrant 2. However, if a coach requests a monitor review and no such foul occurred, the team will be charged a timeout. If no timeouts remain, the team will be assessed a technical foul.
Specific to women’s basketball, the three-point line will move back to 20’9″, which is an increase of one foot, and currently the same distance used by the men.
Women’s basketball teams will also have an experimental 10-second half-court rule in closed scrimmages and exhibition games next season.