Bearkats look to adjust to new NCAA rules
11/2/2015 12:45:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NCAA women's basketball will have a whole new look for the 2015-16 season.
Several major rule changes have been initiated for the new season and Sam Houston head women's basketball coach Brenda Welch-Nichols is looking to get her team ready.
“It's a whole new ball game,” Welch-Nichols said. “The players are having to learn a lot of new rules because it's going to be important to winning. We're definitely working on it every day in practice.”
Last Friday, the head coach had Southland Conference basketball official Mark Merrick come to the coliseum and go over all the new game rules with the Bearkat coaches and players.
“Lots of things have changed that will affect the game,” Welch-Nichols said. “He really emphasized changes concerning post play and guard play.”
The biggest rule change that fans will notice is that NCAA women's basketball games now will be played in four 10-minute quarters rather than two 20-minutes halves.
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved moving to the new four-period format to enhance the flow of the game. The change also was endorsed by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors.
Teams will now reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. Previously, teams reached a one-and-one bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and reached the double bonus (two shots) on the 10th team foul.
In the four-period format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each quarter. If a team reaches the bonus in the fourth period, that team will remain in the bonus during any additional overtime periods.
There also are several other important changes that will affect how the game is played.
Teams now may advance the ball to the frontcourt following a timeout immediately after a made basket in the last 59.9 seconds of the fourth period and any overtime periods.
Teams will be allowed to advance the ball to the frontcourt after securing the ball from a rebound or a change of possession. In these scenarios, the ball would be inbounded at the 28-foot mark on the side of the court where the scorer's table is located.
There is a new rule that allows defenders to place a forearm or an open hand with a bend in the elbow on an offensive post player with the ball whose back is to the basket.
Other rule changes include tweaks to team timeouts and media timeouts.
“We really appreciated Mark Merrick visiting with the team Friday,” Welch-Nichols said. “The committee is trying to make changes that will improve the flow of the game and make it even more exciting. We're working every day to adjust to the changes.”
The Sam Houston women's basketball team will host Mary Hardin-Baylor in a preseason exhibition game this Saturday at 3 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
