Players Discuss New Rule Changes
By: Patrick Rees and Amanda Norvell | October 20, 2006
As the 2006-07 season begins, new rules have been handed down from the basketball powers above. Below is a brief overview of the new mandates.
• NBA head coaches will be able to directly call timeouts. Previously, coaches could only call timeouts if play was stopped because a player was bleeding.
• Teams will now get two free throws and the ball after a clear-path foul, instead of previous one free throw.
• If a player is hurt after a Flagrant Foul 1 penalty and can't continue, his coach, instead of the opposing coach, picks a player on the floor to take the free throws. The injured player is not allowed to return to the game.
• A free substitution will be allowed during all 20-second timeouts, instead of only during the last 2 minutes or regulation or during overtime.
• If a player not appearing on the active list enters a game, he will be disqualified at the first deal ball and his team will receive a technical foul.
• Players lined up on the free throw line can't extend their arms in front of an opponent until the shooter has released the ball.
• And a player not in a lane space during a free throw must stand behind the 3-point line and above the free throw line extended until the ball is shot.
Most of the new rules seem to be focused on cleaning up the image of the game. Not allowing players to elbow one another while waiting for a free throw, flagrant fouls resulting in sure-bet free throws.
“Rules are rules. And we all have to play with them, so I just get used to it, whether it’s a new rule or a new ball or whatever,” said Jameer Nelson.
But one rule, or point of emphasis, seems to be the one that will be making the most impact – officials cracking down on complaining following calls. This season, NBA officials will have a short whistle if players attempt to show them up or excessively argue a call. Some are attributing this rule to Rasheed Wallace and his customary antics after calls against him. But most players seem to understand the new rules necessity.
“I’ve never seen a player congratulate a referee that made a call on him. So obviously, there’s going to be some protests,” Keyon Dooling said. “It’s going to take some getting used to.” Bo Outlaw agrees, “It will take some getting used to. Players show emotion after a call, and now that can get them a technical.”
According to Magic Forward Pat Garrity, the new rules, “are just points of emphasis that the league is trying to hammer in early and then my guess is they will be back to refing the way they did in the last couple of years.”
Veteran Grant Hill is someone who without a doubt receives respect from NBA officials. But Hill said that communication would be key regarding the way he approaches the officials after a call has been made.
“You can still talk to them, but they don’t like the excessive complaining. The refs are there and they are going to communicate and talk with us about what we are doing wrong and most of them admit if they missed a call. They just don’t like being embarrassed and I think that is what the new rule will take care (of that). I think it’s good that the league has implemented the rule.”
In the end, it doesn’t look like the new rules or points of emphasis will have much affect on the Magic.
“We’ve got a good group of guys,” Dooling said. “We don’t talk too much, we just play.”
As the 2006-07 season begins, new rules have been handed down from the basketball powers above. Below is a brief overview of the new mandates.
• NBA head coaches will be able to directly call timeouts. Previously, coaches could only call timeouts if play was stopped because a player was bleeding.
• Teams will now get two free throws and the ball after a clear-path foul, instead of previous one free throw.
• If a player is hurt after a Flagrant Foul 1 penalty and can't continue, his coach, instead of the opposing coach, picks a player on the floor to take the free throws. The injured player is not allowed to return to the game.
• A free substitution will be allowed during all 20-second timeouts, instead of only during the last 2 minutes or regulation or during overtime.
• If a player not appearing on the active list enters a game, he will be disqualified at the first deal ball and his team will receive a technical foul.
• Players lined up on the free throw line can't extend their arms in front of an opponent until the shooter has released the ball.
• And a player not in a lane space during a free throw must stand behind the 3-point line and above the free throw line extended until the ball is shot.
Most of the new rules seem to be focused on cleaning up the image of the game. Not allowing players to elbow one another while waiting for a free throw, flagrant fouls resulting in sure-bet free throws.
“Rules are rules. And we all have to play with them, so I just get used to it, whether it’s a new rule or a new ball or whatever,” said Jameer Nelson.
But one rule, or point of emphasis, seems to be the one that will be making the most impact – officials cracking down on complaining following calls. This season, NBA officials will have a short whistle if players attempt to show them up or excessively argue a call. Some are attributing this rule to Rasheed Wallace and his customary antics after calls against him. But most players seem to understand the new rules necessity.
“I’ve never seen a player congratulate a referee that made a call on him. So obviously, there’s going to be some protests,” Keyon Dooling said. “It’s going to take some getting used to.” Bo Outlaw agrees, “It will take some getting used to. Players show emotion after a call, and now that can get them a technical.”
According to Magic Forward Pat Garrity, the new rules, “are just points of emphasis that the league is trying to hammer in early and then my guess is they will be back to refing the way they did in the last couple of years.”
Veteran Grant Hill is someone who without a doubt receives respect from NBA officials. But Hill said that communication would be key regarding the way he approaches the officials after a call has been made.
“You can still talk to them, but they don’t like the excessive complaining. The refs are there and they are going to communicate and talk with us about what we are doing wrong and most of them admit if they missed a call. They just don’t like being embarrassed and I think that is what the new rule will take care (of that). I think it’s good that the league has implemented the rule.”
In the end, it doesn’t look like the new rules or points of emphasis will have much affect on the Magic.
“We’ve got a good group of guys,” Dooling said. “We don’t talk too much, we just play.”
