Basketball has changed significantly from the day Dr. James Naismith nailed his first peach basket to the wall. Scoring is one area that has experienced tremendous evolution.
An example of this evolution is the 3-point shot. It was tested at the high school level in 1933 and in a college game between Columbia and Fordham in 1945. The American Basketball League was the first professional league to adopt the 3-pointer in 1961. It was then introduced on a wider scale when the original ABA adopted the 3-point shot before its 1967-68 season.
The NBA did not adopt the 3-pointer until 1979. NCAA basketball did not include it at all levels until 1986. Many purists of the game resisted the changes at the time. Now the long ball is as much a part of a typical basketball offense as a layup or a jumper.
Innovation is a good thing. It’s one reason why The-BALL plans to incorporate several new scoring features during its 2013 summer showcase games.
Four-pointers
Players will now be able to score a 4-point shot. A 4-point line will be introduced that is 25 feet away from the basket. This is 1 foot and 3 inches behind the current NBA 3-point line. Including a 4-pointer will enhance the drama in close games during the final minute. A four-point lead is no longer safe because the ability to shoot a “four” still makes it a one-possession game. Enjoy that eight-point lead — two shots later, it could be gone!
All or nothing free throws
Defensive fouls will result in a single free throw instead of multiple ones. A foul on a 2-point basket will result in a free throw from the traditional foul line worth two points. Fouls on 3-pointers lead to a free throw from the 3-point line worth three points. Fouls on the new 4-point shots lead to a free throw taken from the 4-point line and is worth four points.
A missed free throw results in a live shot that can be rebounded by either team. This new rule will put a premium on good free-throw shooting and will cut down on dead time spent on taking multiple free throws each game.
No mandatory free throws in the penalty
Teams playing under The-BALL rules will not be able to foul their way back into the game during the final minute. Once a team reaches a penalty situation after the 16th team foul, they have two choices following a defensive foul.
- Retain possession with a fresh shot clock.
- Shoot a free throw.
The lone exception to this rule is when a player makes a basket while fouled in the act of shooting. Their team is automatically awarded three points on the play and possession changes to the other team. This rule will force teams to defend plays in the final minutes rather than intentionally foul bad free-throw shooters to get back in the game.
You can check out all of the new innovations being introduced by The-BALL by attending our showcase games this summer. It is a six-game event starting on July 25th at the Charles E. Smith Center on the George Washington University campus in Washington D.C.