A month into basketball season and with district games about to start in the next two weeks, I am sure some fans have noticed something different about how games have been run.
The National Federation of State High School Associations Basketball Rules Committee put into effect this school year a rule that deals with free throw shooting.
The old rule was after a team committed its fifth foul in a half of play, a team would be in the bonus and go to the free throw line for any foul even if it was a non-shooting foul.
The free throw attempt was called a one-and-one which meant if the player made the first attempt they would get a chance to make a second one. If they missed the first attempt they would not get a second attempt.
Only if the opposing team got to 10 fouls or more in a half of play would teams then be in the double-bonus and then get two free throw attempts on any foul instead of the one-and-one attempts.
The new rule this year eliminates the one-and-one attempts from the game all together. To go along with that, the bonus starts after a team has committed five fouls. However, the fouls reset every quarter instead of every half.
“The rules committee studied data that showed higher injury rates on rebounding situations and saw this as an opportunity to reduce opportunities for rough play during rebounds,” said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the basketball rules committee. “Additionally, resetting the fouls each quarter will improve game flow and allow teams to adjust their play by not carrying foul totals to quarters two and four.”
The new rules have taken some getting used to for officials, scorekeepers and coaches meaning some free throw attempts have been missed in some early season games when no one realized it.
“When the refs and scorekeepers figure it out it will be okay I guess,” Gold-Burg girl’s Coach Cheryl Cromleigh said.
While the rule change seems like it is might have big sweeping effects on games this season, fans might still be unaware of much different unless they are really paying attention.
Area coaches have some varying opinions on the new rules.

To read the full story that includes local coaches reactions, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.