The FIBA Central Board approves historic rule changes
GENEVA (FIBA) – The FIBA Central Board,
the highest executive body of the
International Basketball Federation, met
yesterday, Friday 25th April, and has
continued its session today, Saturday
26th April, in Beijing, China. The
meeting has been organized in
cooperation with the Chinese Basketball
Association.
An additional press release containing
several important decisions of the FIBA
Central Board will be issued in the next
hours. However, this morning the Central
Board has taken some major and historic
decisions as with regards to the game
rules.
Indeed, 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 Diagram 1 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
Diagram 1.