NCAA Men's Basketball Major Rules Changes for 2004

Updated October 7, 2003

Rules changes are listed below in the order in which they will appear in the 2004 rules book. Rule references are from the 2003 rules book. An asterisk (*) designates where men's and women's games differ.

Rules 1-6 and 1-7 -- Free-throw lane lines and the three-point line may be any color.

Rule 1-13.1 --The basket ring can be constructed of one or two orange metal rings. Previous language allowed only one metal ring and commonly used current equipment gives the appearance of two metal rings.

Rule 1-17.4 -- The red light behind the backboard that signifies the end of a period, which is required for Division I schools, must be visible through the marked rectangle on the backboard but that LED lights around the backboard are permissible to be used in lieu of these red lights. The rationale is that the location of the red light needs to be consistent for the officials' visibility, but the committee recognizes that the visibility of the LED lights is superior to that of the red light and therefore may be used instead of a red light.

Rules 1-17, 2-8 -- Recommended that a timing mechanism that enables an official to start and stop the game clock automatically on the official's whistle be recommended for all Division I arenas.

* Rule 2-5.1 -- At or near the end of any period, officials shall be permitted to consult a courtside television monitor, when such monitor is available, to assist in determining if the game clock or shot clock expired before the release of a shot. Previously, rules did not permit officials to consult a courtside television monitor under such circumstances at the end of the first period, nor did they permit consulting a monitor at any time to determine if a shot clock violation occurred. The rationale is to give officials more assistance in making the correct call in period-ending situations while continuing to limit the potential for interruption of game action by maintaining firm limits on television monitor consultation.

Rule 2-5.1.4 - When an official timer's mistake occurs, it must be corrected by the official during the first dead ball after the game clock has been properly started or before the second live ball while the game clock is running and the ball is dead. Previously, there was no such limit.

Rule 4-13.4.b -- Related rules shall be changed where necessary so that there is team control on a throw-in from out of bounds, but, unlike other team-control situations, the throw-in team can cause the ball to go into the back court (i.e., no violation) and the three-second lane violation count does not take effect until the throw-in ended. The rationale is to simplify the rules governing the throw-in and the team-control foul, which was created for the 2002-03 season.

Rule 10-5.6 -- Removed "accepting a foul that should be charged to a teammate" from the list of direct technical fouls for unsporting player conduct because it is left over from the era when players were required to raise their arm to indicate to the scorer who fouled and is no longer pertinent.

Rule 10-17.4 -- Recommended that in the rare instance when a student-athlete with eligibility for the next season gets into a second fight of the season in the last game of that season, that student-athlete shall be suspended from the next three regular-season games of the next season.

Appendix VII -- The commonly used swing of the leg used by officials to signal a kicking violation shall become an official signal. Men's Points of Emphasis In addition to continuing emphasis on reducing rough play ... Proper calling of the intentional foul Illegal blocks (in block/charge situations) around the basket Decorum of bench personnel Experimental Rules The committee will use the trapezoid lane and extended three-point line as an experimental rule.

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