NBA Rule Changes Were Overdue
On Tuesday evening, news broke from The Athletic’s Shams Charania that the NBA was implementing new rule changes for the upcoming 2021–2022 NBA season.
The new rule changes are going to aim for fewer fouls to be called throughout the game. Fouls have become a huge issue in the NBA. Many NBA games have seemingly turned into a free throw shooting contest.
There have become so many players who have made their entire game by drawing or attempting to draw a foul. We’re seeing this in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Many players on Team USA are just trying to draw fouls, and the Olympic referees have been known to let the players play and allow them to be far more physical than the NBA has been of late.
And because of that, Team USA has been losing games. They had their first loss in the Olympics since 2004. They aren’t used to the old style of play. They try to get fouls, and the NBA is finally doing something about it.
The rule changes are as follows:
- Offensive players launching into defenders.
- Offensive players veering off of their path.
- Shooters kicking their legs out at abnormal angles
- Offensive players using their non-dribbling arm to hook defender
So many people have been turned off of the product that the NBA has put out in the last ten years or so. A lot of their reasoning has been how the game has been played. Everything is a foul nowadays. Now, those who have fallen out of love with the game have a chance to be brought back in if these rules are implemented the way they’re supposed to be.
League officials will be getting training on how to identify these new rules.
Not only is constantly attempting to draw a foul a very boring tactic for fans to observe, but it also kills the momentum of the game for fans and players. If the teams are constantly going to the free-throw line, it slows up the game and makes it much more boring to watch.
And with all of the sports taking ratings hit in recent years, the NBA can’t afford to lose any more viewers. Especially if it’s due to their own way of playing.
With so many options for entertainment nowadays, it makes it hard for people to give sports their undivided attention anymore. All of the leagues must be doing everything in their power to improve their game and make it for an easier watch.
It’ll be interesting to see how players react to these changes. Will the great players be able to adjust to these rules and still continue to be great? James Harden, Chris Paul, and Trae Young come to mind as players who love to lean in and draw fouls against their opponents. They are constantly at the free-throw line from drawing fouls. Will those same calls be called next season? I doubt it if the officials call it the way they’re supposed to be.
The other bit of news that the NBA dropped was that they would continue to have the Play-In Tournament format for the playoffs from seeds 7–10.
I do not believe this will work out in their favor this year. The only reason it garnered any interest in the 2020–2021 season is that LeBron James and the LA Lakers were in the tournament along with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Those were two teams that were in that position due to injuries will more than likely not be there next season. Otherwise, that tournament was a big dud and garnered very little interest.
Nevertheless, these rule changes in regards to fouls could drastically change the way the NBA is played and could make it much more enjoyable for fans, especially the casual ones. It no longer rewards players who are looking for an easy call. These players will have to earn their baskets — and now, earn their free throws.
