NJCAA to adopt new NCAA basketball rule changes

NJCAA to adopt new NCAA basketball rule changes
NJCAA press release

The NJCAA Executive Committee recently met via conference call and unanimously approved the implementation of the recent rule changes released by the NCAA for men's and women's basketball for the 2017-18 season. The NJCAA will be adopting nearly all the rule changes. 

Of significance is the increase in size of the restricted-area arc in women's basketball from 3 feet to 4 feet.

Links to the complete lists of rule changes are available below. 

Please note that there is one exception to these recent rule changes - specifically for women's basketball (rule 10-4.8) - which recommends that any number of assistant coaches be permitted to leave the bench area when a fight may break out or has broken out. NJCAA Sportsmanship Rules overrides this sport rule and takes precedent.....all colleges must abide by the NJCAA Sportsmanship Rules (Article 18 of NJCAA bylaws).

2017-18 Men's Basketball Rule Changes

2017-18 Women's Basketball Rule Changes

Rules of specific importance include:

1. WBB: The new women's 4-foot arc rule & assistant coaches leaving the bench (mentioned above)

2. WBB: The NJCAA does not permit the use of musical instruments and/or amplified music during any dead ball in regular season play with the exception of timeouts and intermissions. 

3. MBB & WBB: The NJCAA does not permit dunking during both pregame and halftime warmups. Penalty for dunking during pre-game or halftime of any regular or post-season game is a Class B technical foul which results in one free throw awarded to any member of the offended team. 

4. MBB & WBB: Per new language in the NJCAA Sportsmanship Rules (Article 18), the use of a racial slur in the NJCAA is an automatic ejection.