NCAA Rules Committee proposes rule change for block/charge fouls

Is the block/charge call in college basketball about to get tweaked?

On Friday afternoon, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee proposed a new rule change for the upcoming 2023-24 season that deals with “legal guarding position on block/charge scenarios involving defenders around the basket.”

According to the proposal, “a defender would have to be in position to draw a charge at the time an offensive player plants his foot to go airborne to attempt a field goal. If the defender arrives after the offensive player plants a foot to launch toward the basket, officials would be instructed to call a block when contact occurs between the two players.”

Currently, the rule states that a defender must be in legal guarding position to draw a charge before the offensive player is in the air. This potential rule change would make it so the defender must be in legal guarding position at the time the offensive player plants his foot before going airborne. A small change, but one that would influence how a referee makes that call and make defenders step in earlier to draw charges.

“Our goal is to try to reduce the number of charges that are called,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, the committee chair, said. “We want to give more time to the offensive player to adjust to defensive player movement and reduce the hard collisions that are taking place.”

Change to legal guarding position recommended for men’s basketball. https://t.co/iQCYoxonct

— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) May 5, 2023

Other recommended rule changes include the ability to review goaltending/basket interference calls, players being able to wear jersey numbers 0-99, and resetting the shot clock to 20 seconds if the offensive team retains possession after the ball touches the rim, among many other topics.

To go on a quick personal aside, I am mostly anti-charge and think the entire idea behind the call needs a complete overhaul. Too often can defenders come to a standstill while peddling backward which results in a foul called on the offensive player. There should still absolutely be offensive foul rulings in basketball (using extended arms to create space, lowering the shoulder, etc.), but when a defensive player refuses to play defense and is rewarded for stopping on a dime and falling down, something needs to change.

This new rule proposal isn’t exactly a massive step in that direction, but it’s at least an acknowledgment from the NCAA that the block/charge call needs more moderating. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel will meet on June 8 to discuss recommending potential rule changes.