NIT Tournament Will Use Experimental Rules

The NIT will use experimental rules to give feedback to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee, the Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee and the Division I Men’s Basketball Competition Committee. It’s worth noting the NCAA playing rules proess has a two-year cycle and the next change date is May of 2019. 

In the 2018 NIT Tournament, the experimental rules will be: 

• The three-point line will be extended by approximately 1 foot 8 inches to the same distance used by FIBA for international competition (22 feet 1.75 inches).


 • The free throw lane will be widened from 12 feet to 16 feet, consistent with the width used by the NBA.
 

• The games will be divided into four 10-minute quarters as opposed to two 20-minute halves. Teams will shoot two free throws beginning with the fifth foul of each quarter.


• The shot clock will reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound instead of the full 30 seconds.

“The style of play in men’s college basketball is healthy and appealing, but the leadership governing the game is interested in keeping the playing rules contemporary and trending favorably,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball. “Experimenting with two significant court dimension rules, a shot-clock reset rule and a game-format rule all have some level of support in the membership, so the NIT will provide the opportunity to gather invaluable data and measure the experience of the participants.”

The longer three-point line will provide feedback to see if it will be more difficult for men’s college basketball. The wider line will provide points for reducing physicality and creating more driving opportunities. Pace and number of possessions will also be a data point evaluated. 

“The NIT is an exciting event with a rich tradition and history, yet it also provides us a platform to consider how the game might look in the future,” Gavitt said. “We’ve seen the adoption of recent experimental rules and how they have had a positive impact. This track record of the game evolving is a result of us having the flexibility to see if the rules work and are met with satisfaction, so we appreciate the support and partnership for the good of college basketball from our membership and our broadcast partners at ESPN.”