Nov. 6, 2003
COLUMBIA, Mo. -
Mizzou basketball fans attending any of the four women's or men's exhibition games over the next two weeks will see a couple of changes on the basketball floor.
Two experimental rules have been implemented by the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Rules Committee for use in exhibitions and exempted contests, such as the Preseason NIT and Great Alaska Shootout. The committees recommended that the three-point line be moved back to the international distance, and that the international trapezoid free-throw/three-second lane be adopted. The goal of the experimental combination is to determine if it is desirable for future seasons.
The first look at the new court comes this Saturday, when the women host Southwest Baptist at 1 p.m. at the Hearnes Center, while the men take the court this Monday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. against InterHoop. The women's game vs. Sparta Praha (Czech Republic) on Sunday, Nov. 16, and the men's game vs. the Asheville Altitude on Tuesday, Nov. 18, will also feature the experimental rules.
The NCAA Executive Committee will meet in January to consider making both changes for the men's game, and the international 3-point line in the women's game, permanent in 2004-05.
Under the recommendations, the 3-point line would be moved back approximately 9 inches to a distance of 20 feet, 6 ¼ inches from the center of the basket to the outside edge of the line. The current distance is 19 feet, 9 inches. The exact metric distance for the international three-point line is 6.25 meters.
The trapezoid lane widens the current lane at the end line by approximately 3 feet, 11 inches on either side. The new lane lines would run approximately from that point on each end line to the intersection of the current free-throw line and lane lines. At its widest point (at the end line) the trapezoid lane's width is 6.0 meters or 19 feet, 8 ¾ inches. The current rectangular lane is 12 feet wide.
For more information on these or any rules changes, visit www.NCAA.org. To view the PDF diagram of the experimental court, click here.
