The NCAA has worked to close the gap between men's and women's college basketball in the NCAA Tournament, but there are still some differences when it comes to rules.
The women's tournament plays a smaller basketball, hosts more first and second rounds of games, and has different rules regarding the ball passing through the middle of the court. But perhaps the biggest difference for fans to note is the different format of play.
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Men's basketball will play two 20-minute halves with several media timeouts to allow players to rest, while women's basketball will play four 10-minute halves. The quarter format will be familiar to basketball fans, as most leagues, including the NBA and WNBA, play the same format. The different game formats are a new phenomenon in women's basketball, with rule changes occurring within the past decade.
Here's what you need to know about the Iowa, UW, NC State, and South Carolina Final Four about the rule change, why it was made, and how it will affect the game. is.
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When did women's college basketball become a four-quarter game?
On June 8, 2015, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee approved women's basketball to have four 10-minute quarters beginning with the 2015-16 season. The NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee initially recommended rule changes to improve the flow of the game. The rule change was also approved by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors. Each quarter is 10 minutes (20 minute halves for men and total time equals 40 minutes) and half time is 15 minutes.
One of the reasons for the rule change was to move away from the one-on-one free throws that occur when a team reaches seven team fouls in men's basketball. In a four-quarter format, the team reaches the bonus and on the fifth team foul on him he shoots two free throws. A team's fouls are reset to zero at the beginning of each quarter.
At the time, it was thought that the change was an experiment and would eventually be introduced into the men's game.
Cooperation with professional leagues
Another reason for the change was to bring women's college basketball in line with professional leagues like the WNBA and FIBA, which play in quarters instead of halves. This change will allow players to make a more seamless transition from the college game to the professional ranks.
Why does men's college basketball play two 20-minute halves?
Dr. James Naismith is credited with inventing what we know as basketball in December 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. His idea was to do two 15-minute halves with his 5-minute break in between, and this was included in his 13 sports rules. Eventually, more time was added, making each half 20 minutes.
In 1951, both college basketball and the NBA changed the format of their games to four 10-minute quarters. Since then, the NBA has maintained this format, with each quarter lasting 12 minutes, but the NCAA reverted to playing basketball in 2-minute halves instead of quarters in 1954. This change was made because coaches were concerned that the game would stall without a shot clock. In 1955, Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp advocated four 12-minute quarters, a practice the NBA continues to follow today.
Will men's basketball move to a quarter system?
Will the four-quarter format used in the NBA and other professional leagues also benefit the men's game? perhaps. But why hasn't it changed? Was that discussed? In 2022, Jay Bilas argued for a four-quarter system in an article for ESPN.
”Four quarters instead of half: Men's college basketball is the only visible competitive format in the world without quarters. It's not about staying unique. The quarters provide more clock plays and allow teams to reset fouls after the first and third quarters. Moving to the quarters reduces the number of free throws on common fouls and eliminates one-and-ones. The team reaches the bonus on his fifth foul of the quarter, and he is given two shots for each common foul after that. Some people argue that one-on-one is necessary, but I disagree. The argument is that the player must “earn” the second foul shot by making the first foul shot. That second shot was earned after being fouled. Remember, this foul limited the attacking team's ability to score two points or three points on the possession. In my opinion, this rule change is necessary. ”
Ken Pomeroy also makes a similar claim. One big difference in the format, aside from fouls being reset between quarters, is that the girls will have a media timeout at the first stoppage time of less than five minutes each quarter. The men's side has her four media timeouts in the half, each spread four minutes apart.
Breaks between the first and second quarters and between the third and fourth quarters also effectively serve as media timeouts. Fewer TV timeouts could result in lost advertising revenue, which could negatively impact men's basketball revenue. Adding more breaks during the quarter format to compensate for potential losses can also negatively impact the flow of the game.