Basketball NFHS Rule Changes for 2014-2015

Heinie Wagner

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 14, 2001
731
Simsbury, CT
The NFHS added the following new rules for this season:
 
10-6-12 NEW: The following acts constitute a foul when committed against a ball handler/dribbler:
                a. Placing two hands on the player.
                b. Placing an extended arm bar on the player.
                c. Placing and keeping a hand on the player.
                d. Contacting the player more than once with the same hand or alternating hands.
 
I coach 5th grade boys but also watch a good deal of 6th-8th grade games as well as a bunch of Freshman games and even a few Varsity games.  I really like the changes and the intent of them, hand checking, arm bars, putting two hands on a player are all things that escalate the physical contact in a game to higher levels. Leaving it to the discretion of the officials ends up making a big variance from game to game, or even official to official within a game.
 
From the high school Varsity and Freshman games I've seen, the new rules seem to be enforced pretty evenly every game and it changes the game in a good way. At the youth levels, from what I've seen, the new rules are enforced very unevenly, some youth refs aren't NFHS board certified and don't even know there are rule changes. It will be very interesting to see if referees will generally enforce the new rules in the upcoming AAU season where many are officiating 3-4 games in a row in a tight time frame.
 
We seem to have a good number of basketball coaches here, what do you think of the new rules, are they enforced at your level of play,do they seem to have the intended effect: "clean up perimeter play and restore freedom of movement to the game"? 
 
"CONTACT (10-6-12 New): Rather than continuing to make illegal contact a point of emphasis, a new criteria for foul enforcement was created. The intent is to clean up perimeter play and restore freedom of movement to the game. The new rule clearly explains specific contact that should be called a foul. This criteria should provide for more understanding of illegal contact for coaches and players, and improved enforcement by officials."
 
 
 

Bleedred

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 21, 2001
9,968
Boston, MA
Heinie Wagner said:
 
I coach 5th grade boys but also watch a good deal of 6th-8th grade games as well as a bunch of Freshman games and even a few Varsity games.  I really like the changes and the intent of them, hand checking, arm bars, putting two hands on a player are all things that escalate the physical contact in a game to higher levels. Leaving it to the discretion of the officials ends up making a big variance from game to game, or even official to official within a game.
 
From the high school Varsity and Freshman games I've seen, the new rules seem to be enforced pretty evenly every game and it changes the game in a good way. At the youth levels, from what I've seen, the new rules are enforced very unevenly, some youth refs aren't NFHS board certified and don't even know there are rule changes. It will be very interesting to see if referees will generally enforce the new rules in the upcoming AAU season where many are officiating 3-4 games in a row in a tight time frame.
 
We seem to have a good number of basketball coaches here, what do you think of the new rules, are they enforced at your level of play,do they seem to have the intended effect: "clean up perimeter play and restore freedom of movement to the game"? 
 
I coach 7th grade metrowest (Division 1 - A team).  The rules are a good thing, and when enforced, absolutely do a nice job of cleaning up the game.  Unfortunately, as you note, they are not uniformly enforced by the officials from one half to the next, let alone game to game.   Some officials call it a ton, others don't call it at all.  It can be very frustrating.  Couple that with the unevenness of the officiating generally at this level (some fine officials; many more don't give a shit or can't keep up), and it's still a work in progress.