While we were focused on college basketball’s mess off the court earlier this month, with guilty verdicts handed down in the federal corruption trial involving coaches, players and the leeches between them, the sport quietly went about trying to clean up a mess on the court.
From the NCAA on May 18: “The Men’s Basketball Rules Committee proposed moving the 3-point line to the international distance of 22 feet, 1¾ inches.”
If the Playing Rules Oversight Panel passes the proposal June 5, the 3-point line moves from its current depth of 20 feet, 9 inches. Why do this?
“Freedom of movement in the game remains important and we feel this will open up the game,” Colorado coach and rules committee chair Tad Boyle said in the NCAA release. “We believe this will remove some of the congestion on the way to the basket.”
The committee tried to unclog college basketball four years ago by asking officials to call clutch-and-grab fouls. It was a well-intentioned move that left enforcement to the officials’ discretion. Some blew their whistle, others didn’t. The clutching and grabbing was hardly eradicated.
Moving the 3-point line leaves nothing to interpretation. Coaches and players must adjust in this case, not officials.
The anticipation is the players will still shoot 3s. Since they’ll be doing it from a slightly longer distance, perimeter defenders will have to extend. When that occurs, the shooters will have an easier path to a dribble drive should they choose that option, whether all the way into the lane or closer to 15 feet for a pull-up.
This sounds appealing in theory.
