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Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com

Move the 3-point line back

By Mike Waters

When the NCAA moved the 3-point line back to its current distance (20 feet, 9 inches), the 3-point shooting percentage in college basketball remained virtually the same. It was no surprise to some observers. We’ve seen young American players shoot from the international distance (22 feet) every summer when USA Basketball’s teams compete in FIBA competitions. Moving the 3-point line back would stretch defenses and open up the court. An open court should create driving lanes and reduce the amount of physical play inside

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Take the 30-second clock down to 24 seconds

The move to a 30-second shot clock went extremely well. NCAA shouldn’t hesitate to take next step. Again, we can look to how well young American players handle the 24-second clock in international play. They still get quality shots. In fact, some coaches realize that the best shot is often available early in a possession and not after passing the ball around for 20 seconds and letting the defense get set. A shorter clock means more possessions and a faster game.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerellli@syracuse.com

Do not add a sixth foul

There have been calls for adding a sixth personal foul before a player is disqualified from a game. The Big East experimented with the six-foul rule for three years from 1990 to 1992. The results were horrible. The sixth foul made a rough game even rougher. The Big East and the NCAA ditched the idea after three years. The SEC needed just one year before returning to five fouls. If we’re trying to increase scoring and improve the natural flow of the game, adding a sixth foul would accomplish the exact opposite.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com

Give players another foul in overtime

If the goal is to keep the best players on the court longer, there are other ways to do it without going to six personal fouls. One way would be to give an extra foul to players when a game goes into overtime. Why play a 40-minute game with a 5-foul limit and then expect players to play foul-free when games go into overtime? It hurts the game when a star player fouls out with four minutes left in overtime. Keep adding one foul per overtime period. There is one stipulation, though. A player only gets an extra foul if he’s still in the game. If a player fouls out in regulation, he doesn’t get to return in overtime.

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Don't re-set the shot clock after a kicked ball

This may sound silly, but stay with me. NCAA rules state that if a defensive player kicks the ball out of bounds with less than 15 seconds on the shot clock, the clock is re-set to 15 seconds. Why? If a defender tips a pass out of bounds with his hands, it’s OK, but if he kicks it out of bounds, we reward the offensive team. Why? Also, we don’t add time in an end of game situation if a ball is kicked with 5 seconds on the game clock. It just makes no sense.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com

Eliminate 1-and-1 free throws

When teams get into the bonus, they shoot 1-and-1 free throws from No. 7 to No. 9. At the 10th foul, the team starts shooting two free throws. So from 7 to 9, we're overly rewarding a team for fouling. The 1-and-1 puts the offensive team in a situation where it could get no points if it misses the first free throw. By going to two free throws in the bonus, we increase scoring and we also discourage intentional fouling. And fewer fouls is a good thing.

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Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Reduce the number of timeouts

Coaches currently get five timeouts per game. That includes the use-"it or lose-it'' timeout in the first half. The number needs to be reduced to three, starting with the dumb first-half timeout. I’ve seen coaches take a timeout late in the first half for no reason other than if they didn’t take it, they’d lose it. With four media timeouts per half plus halftime, there are enough stoppages already built into the game. We need to improve flow and this is an easy answer.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com

Do not advance the ball in timeouts

In the NBA, the team that's inbounding the ball from under its own basket can advance the ball to halftime just by calling a timeout. This supposedly adds to late-game drama, but it's an abomination. There's no logic to it. If an NFL team calls timeout, do they advance the ball 15 yards? No. It's artificial. It also encourages calling timeouts and we've already established the fact that timeouts are bad for the game's natural flow.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com

Call fouls away from the ball

You want to improve offense and open up the game? Then there needs to be a concerted effort to call fouls away from the ball. No more holding or bumping the cutter. It’s akin to what the NFL did when addressing the contact on wide receivers and it improved the game. Let's see shooters who can get open without having to shed a blocker or navigate an obstacle course first.

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Fix the charge-block in favor of the offense

Two years ago, the NCAA tried to fix the charge-block rule in the favor of the offensive player. The NCAA said the defender would be charged with a foul if he failed to establish position before the offensive player began his upward motion. But then the NCAA reversed its stance after one year. It went back to a defender being allowed to draw a charge if he established position before a player went airborn. Why? Referees complained that it was too hard to call. Too bad. Offensive players to be able to drive to the basket. Referees and defenders just have to figure it out. Then we'll have less contact and more offense.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com

Bonus idea: Keep the new timeout rule

Last year, the NCAA put in a rule that prevented coaches from calling timeouts during live ball situations. The coaches didn’t like it. That’s because they have a need to control everything. Personally, I loved it. Teach the players to think the game. Keep the rule. And if we get a few moments of complete chaos, all's the better.