Counterattacks are among the most exciting things to watch in the world of sports, but there are moments when the attacking team’s progress is disrupted by a foul, robbing the momentum and a possible extra point.
In the NBA, it is common for teams to hit a fastbreak after getting a turnover, and just when a dunk is about to hit the highlight reel, the opposing team commits a foul. Although it is normal, many are often left frustrated. However, things could take a turn for the incoming 2022–2023 season.
The NBA’s Competition Committee recently drafted a proposal that will change the transition “take fouls.”
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Last weekend, the committee met in Las Vegas to discuss rule-change proposals. Their rule-change recommendations will be presented to the Board of Governors, which they expect to unanimously vote in favor of the change, according to sources.
Take fouls are overly used by defending teams to disrupt fast-break opportunities that leave them at a numerical disadvantage. Once the foul is taken, teams on the offensive are given the ball out of bounds—a tactic that often ruins the game flow, bogging it down.
The take-foul rule change gives the offensive team one free throw and possession of the ball if the opposition commits a take-foul. The offensive team will then select a player to shoot the free throw – a foul rule implemented in the G League.
If implemented, the change would usher in a significant shift in the game.
The rule change on take fouls won’t be the only proposition as the Competition Committee will also be proposing a stricter bench decorum that issues stiffer penalties.
Among the propositions for bench decorum involves players standing up at the bench for extended periods of the game, blocking the view of fans sitting behind them.
It became a major topic throughout the playoffs when players of the Dallas Mavericks regularly stood for the entirety of the game, sometimes even walking into the court during game action.
As a result, the Mavericks were slapped with a $175,000 fine.
The Competition Committee will be implementing heavier penalties for similar violations as the NBA received plenty of complaints over the playoffs. However, it remains to be seen what the penalties will be.
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