5 Fouls per Quarter Rule

[ClkTwr2011]

This new foul rule has now been in place for 1 season. At 5 fouls in the quarter, they shoot 2. Foul count resets each quarter.

I didn't mind it, just puzzled why.

I tried to sort this out in my mind, and simply don't understand the logic for this rule.

How does this make the game better?
How does this make the game worse?

The only thing I could come up with is that it potentially slows down the intentional fouls at the end of a game, but I am not sure it even does that.

I searched for a thread on this. Can someone please shed some light on this for me?

 

[CB73]

This new foul rule has now been in place for 1 season. At 5 fouls in the quarter, they shoot 2. Foul count resets each quarter.

I didn't mind it, just puzzled why.

I tried to sort this out in my mind, and simply don't understand the logic for this rule.

How does this make the game better?
How does this make the game worse?

The only thing I could come up with is that it potentially slows down the intentional fouls at the end of a game, but I am not sure it even does that.

I searched for a thread on this. Can someone please shed some light on this for me?

It's my understanding that they did it to lessen contact at the free throw line. It is a stupid, stupid rule.

 

[runningback43]

I like the rule change. Makes the game flow better in my opinion.

 

[kaz36]

I like the rule change. Makes the game flow better in my opinion.

I thought so too. I’m not sure of the numbers, but it seemed like there were less free throws shot and allowed for more game action. In years past, a team could hit the 7 foul mark early in the second quarter and it seemed like the rest of the half was spent at the free throw line. Now it resets at the quarter and it takes a while to get back to 5 and the only time free throws are shot is on a fouled shot or late in the quarter.

 

[CoachBDub]

As a coach, I loved it. Flow of the game was much more improved. Also, I feel like there is way less pressure than a one and one free throw. I have no statistical proof, but I felt like the game times dropped drastically as well.

 

[ACICOD]

It makes the overall length of games shorter and less time is spent at the free throw line.

I love that when a team comes out with their hair on fire and gets called for 8 first quarter fouls that we just shoot the bonus in the first quarter. Then they have a chance to adjust in the second quarter. We don't have to watch free throws shot for every foul of the second quarter.

 

[GoSkers3]

I like the reset of fouls at the end of every quarter but would still like to see the 1 and 1 implemented. Kids need the pressure at the end of the game to make a free throw to seal the win....just my opinion.

 

[oldnewballcoach]

Rule put in place for less contact. In a 1 and 1 situation, you are going to get 1 or 2 live contact(hard box outs, elbows flying, etc.) with a 2 shot situation you are guaranteed to only have 1.
I like it from the perspective, if a group of refs decide to "clean it up" during their halftime talk, you aren't shooting free-throws from mid 3rd until the end of the game.

 

[oldnewballcoach]

I don't like how the rule makes a comeback more difficult without the pressure of the front end of a 1 and 1. But for the lower classes the whole "comeback game" should benefit from the shot clock.

 

[name123]

As a coach I personally love the new rule change. There was nothing worse than a game being called super tight and it turning into a free throw contest for the majority of the 2nd or 4th quarters. With the rule change I feel as if there are more opportunities to use it to your favor. For example if you only have a couple of fouls late in the quarter, you can sell out on defense for extended periods of time knowing that a foul only results in a inbounds. This also gives you a chance foul late in quarters to disrupt set plays, get good defenders in games who aren't necessarily skilled on the offensive end. Obviously with any rule there are negatives but I thought the games flowed much better this previous season.

 

[SPbObRT]

this has allowed the game to go much smoother in my opinion and it seems like the games are a bit shorter, teams usually adjust and you don't see so many clock stoppages with freethrows all the time.

 

[TC53]

Has anyone seen free-throw numbers? I felt like I hardly saw any FTs at the game I watched. Sounds like that's a plus for many people, but to me, free throw shooting was a big part of the game, and I missed them. Sometimes FT proficiency was what separated two players who otherwise seemed equal. I liked that, but I can see who others might be the opposite.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Has anyone seen free-throw numbers? I felt like I hardly saw any FTs at the game I watched. Sounds like that's a plus for many people, but to me, free throw shooting was a big part of the game, and I missed them. Sometimes FT proficiency was what separated two players who otherwise seemed equal. I liked that, but I can see who others might be the opposite.

Early in the season, and probably past the midpoint...I agree. It seemed like I hardly saw any games go into the bonus. And I officiated many games that didn't get into the bonus very often.

Towards the end of the season it seemed like I saw lots of quarters get into bonus territory

 

[CoachBDub]

This made me look at our team stats over the last 4 years. Don't ask the make %.

2020-2021- Attempted 385 FTs/Opponents 340 FTs (25 games)
2021-2022- Attmepted 418 FTs/ Opponents 412 FTs ( 27 games)
2022-2023- 451 FTs/Opponents 360 FTs ( 26 games)
2023-2024- 451 FTs/ Opponents 341 FTs (30 games)

 

[Power_I_82]

I hated it when it came out. Probably just cuz I'm getting old. After watching it I really like it. If I was coaching I'm not sure I would be as big of a fan. The 1 and 1 gave coaches an opportunity to "steal" a couple possessions at the end of the game when the opponent missed the front end. On the other side of it, if you are up and getting put on the line you automatically get two chances at it. I would like that. Not a big deal at the end of the day

 

[TwinsRRUs]

I hated it when it came out. Probably just cuz I'm getting old. After watching it I really like it. If I was coaching I'm not sure I would be as big of a fan. The 1 and 1 gave coaches an opportunity to "steal" a couple possessions at the end of the game when the opponent missed the front end. On the other side of it, if you are up and getting put on the line you automatically get two chances at it. I would like that. Not a big deal at the end of the day

I wasn't quite sure about the new rule... Would it speed up games? Would it change anything?

After a season of it, the first 3 quarters of a game didn't seem to change much. Yes, they are probably faster overall, but our team hit the 5 foul mark in at least 2 or 3 quarters every game, while doing it in all 4 quarters several times.

Obviously it's impossible due to the math, but it felt like the other teams got to the free throw line just as much as they did before the rule changes.

Apparently we just foul a lot.

Now, the 4th quarter of close games was up and down. Early in the season, some coaches still tried to foul in order to catch up.

In the middle of the season, I felt like teams didn't foul much to stop the clock to catch up, but by the end of the season, teams were back to fouling to play catch-up.

I asked a couple players and they said they were just as nervous at the end of games when shooting 2 free throws as they were when shooting 1-1 free throws... even more nervous if they missed the first free throws.

 

[TC53]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the stats and comments. Throughout my getting-kind-of-long life, I've seen a lot of rule changes that I thought would change everything, and really, only the three-point line has done more than ripple the waters. (Doesn't mean I have to like it, and get off my lawn!)