Basketball committee votes on rules changes
2020 season still up in the air
While the upcoming winter season remains in a holding pattern for now due to COVID-19 concerns, the MIAA Basketball Committee went forward with other business on Wednesday morning, most notably making their recommendations on several proposed rules changes for 2021-23.
In addition to the myriad of broader rules changes that all committees weigh in on, the basketball committee voted on four sportspecific proposals, a task made easier by the fact that the committee itself had submitted three of them.
The first would reset the shot clock to 15 seconds after a kicked or fisted ball if under 15 seconds when the infraction occurs, and not reset if at 15 seconds or more. The current rule resets to 30 seconds, which can penalize the defense, especially late in games, according to the proposal, which was recommended by a 15-1-1 vote.
The next seeks to adjust the rule regarding five-second calls on closely guarded players in the frontcourt. Currently, players holding or dribbling the ball can be whistled, while the new proposal would eliminate dribbling players from the rule. It passed by a 17-0 vote.
The last rule proposal put on the table by the committee would increase the amount of quarters per day a player is eligible to compete in from four to six. This rule was implemented in the Merrimack Valley Conference as a pilot program last year and received positive feedback, allowing junior varsity players to gain valuable varsity experience and increasing player development. The committee recommended the proposal 17-0 and has asked the MIAA Board of Directors to consider allowing it to be used for the 2020-21 season.
The final basketball proposal came from David Keir, former Smith Academy athletic director, who would like to see 10-second backcourt violations called the same way in the girls game, which currently does not have a 10-second rule, as it is in the boys. The committee recommended it by a 16-1 vote.
These votes are just the first of a multi-step process for new rules proposals to be officially approved. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Council has the final say on June 1, 2021.
As far as the upcoming season is concerned, no determinations have been made and MIAA Basketball Committee liaison Peter Smith said that the committee anticipates further guidance from the EEA in early November when more data from the fall has been compiled. A subcommittee previously formed to make modification recommendations will meet weekly as it continues to prepare a working document to present to the full committee on how to safely play this winter
he committee provided an update that the Tournament Management Committee approved the five-division tournament alignment proposal during its spring meeting and that the tournament format proposal was on the docket for the TMC meeting next Wednesday.