The Oldest Rule In Basketball Needs To Change Now

LSU just won the NCAA Women’s National Championship in basketball, defeating Iowa. They played an amazing game, their players rose to the occasion, and they deserve lots of credit for their performance. However, the officiating has become front and center in the post game press so it is time to change a rule that has been engrained in the sport of basketball since the very beginning,

Whether it be the NCAA or NBA, no longer should any player be disqualified for the number of fouls committed. If a player engages in intentional conduct that would merit disqualification, such as fighting or attempting to harm another player, that penalty would still remain in tact.. However, eliminating players from the field of play because of the number of common fouls should be a thing of the past. Changing this rule is in the best interests of the sports, the fans and the integrity of the game.

A team should not have to sit its best players on the bench as a result of a referee decision that may be questionable at best. The entire complexion of the game changes when this happens. It places far too much control in the hands of these fallible officials— who are trying to do a good job— but all too often make mistakes in judgment.

In the NCAA Championship game, Iowa’s superstar and National Player of the Year, Caitlin Clark, was administered several questionable foul calls and played much of the game in foul trouble including a technical foul (her fourth foul), simply for tossing the ball behind her back towards the base line. The second best player on the team, Monika Czinano, also spent the game in foul trouble and eventually fouled out. LSU deserved to win but should not have had the benefit of Iowa’s two best players handcuffed in foul trouble most of the game.

The same things happened to South Carolina in their semi-final game against Iowa where Aliyah Boston, South Carolina’s best player, and likely #1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, sat on the bench much of the game in foul trouble. With all the physical and incidental contact that occurs in basketball these controveral judgment calls should not be allowed to have such great impact on the game. The officials should still use their judgment and call fouls. However, those calls should not have the draconian impact of eliminating a player from the game in a way that could dramatically shift the outcome.

It’s not good for the fans, who came to see that player. It’s not good for quality and flow of the game because teams are forced to play without players they depend upon. It also affects the integrity of the game, because the the result will always come into question and sometimes take away from the extraordinary play of one of the teams or players.,

Sports have always been considered to be a game of skill, talent, and strategy. And there is no doubt that the best team usually wins despite the officiating. But let’s not kid ourselves, the calls of the officials can severely influence the momentum in a game and rob one team of the ability to use their best players freely- and it’s hard to play your normal game when you are in foul trouble.

You will never find a way for players, coaches and fans to agree on the officiating and mistakes will be made. After all, these officials are only human. But let’s reduce their ability to completely take over a game with a bad call or calls that costs a team the benefit of their best players on the court.