NCAA Tweaks Goaltending Rule: The NCAA rules committee has decided to clarify the definition of goaltending when a ball hits the backboard en route to the hoop but made few other noteworthy changes. The committee added a clause that states that goaltending qualifies for any ball completely above the rim that is touched after it hits the backboard. Previously, the rule applied only to a ball touched on a downward trajectory. In other words, if a player drove toward the hoop and shot the ball at a sharp enough angle that it would carom off the backboard and continue upward, a defender could swat it as long as it wasn’t in the cylinder extending above the rim to the ceiling. It’s a minor detail, but the clarification should help eliminate some occasional controversy.
The rules committee opted not to implement a restricted area arc or widen the lane. The first proposal would copy the NBA’s no-charge zone in which defenders cannot set up to take charges. The second proposal would make the collegiate game more closely resemble the international one. [5/12/08]
