I've played and coached basketball all my life. I grew up in a town called Nelson at the top of the South Island in New Zealand where it isn't rugby that is king - it is basketball.
Having said that, I'd like to revamp the game, making changes to open the flow and at the same time reward height and defence. Yes, you heard right. I think with the way things stand right now, height isn't rewarded, the three point line is in the wrong place, and defence is penalised.
My NEW basketball.
Four quarters of 8 minutes each, stop clock play. No zone defence allowed. 5 second back court, 22 second shot clock, no reset of shot clock unless a shot is taken that hits the rim or backboard.
Use the NBA ball or brown leather, no coloured panels or red, white and blue. Multi coloured clothing allowed, FIBA rules in this regard are restrictive.
The hotspot or restricted area shrinks to line up with the outside dimensions of the backboard. Hotspot time shortened to 2 seconds. Do away with the no charge zone.
Shots from inside the hotspot count 1 point unless a dunk, which is 2 points. Shots from outside the hotspot but inside the three point line count 2 points. Layups, put backs, tip ins are all 1 point, as is any other shot not a dunk from within the now shrunken restricted (hotspot) area. A dunk is a downward shot placing the ball into the basket while the wrist(s) remain above the rim. Jams would count for one point as that means the ball travels upward at some point in its flight, they are not a real dunk.
Move the three point line out six inches beyond the NBA line to 22'6" in the corner and at the arc 24'3". Beyond that line score 3 points.
Introduce a four point line which would be across the court and line up with the outer perimeter of the centre circle. Shots behind that line count 4 points, 5 points if inside the centre circle and in the front court. Behind the centre line, 6 points but the ball must be legally in the back court.
What this does is reward shots, height and defence. To mitigate the extra points that can be scored by long shots, I allow goal tending, which is deflecting or catching the ball in free flight toward the basket ( even if moving downward to the goal ). Any touch of the net, backboard, rim, or putting the hand up under and through the basket to deflect a shot would be still disallowed.
Substitutions do not occur through game stoppage. Players enter the court inside the four point line area, and a player must have left the court with both feet outside the line before his replacement can enter. Breaking this rule results in a technical foul, two shots and the ball back at halfway for the non-offending team. But like handball, players can run on and off. You get a much faster game this way guys.
Jump off to start each quarter and any tied possession. None of this NCAA and FIBA direction arrow nonsense. Defence is rewarded. The jump ball at second and third quarter time to occur nearest where play stopped, while at the start of the game and after half-time the jump occurs at the centre circle.
Held ball 4 seconds.
Dribbling strictly enforced with only downward pressure acceptable. Most dribbling today is carry ball.
Travel strictly enforced. Many players travel today.
Two referees in general play, the third manages substitutions, the four point line and beyond.
One time out allowed per team in each quarter lasting 45 seconds. Play resumes with an inbound pass from where play ceased when the time out was requested. None of this advancing the ball to centre court.
Half time 2 minutes, 1 minute between quarters. Extra time 3 minutes 30 seconds.
Fouls - Six allowed for each player but any unsportsmanlike or individual technical foul disqualifies that player from the game altogether ( removed from the game on committing the seventh foul or when unsportsmanlike or technical ). No team foul rule resulting in shots, if a team commits more than eleven fouls in a quarter, they lose a player on the court (down to four) for the rest of the quarter and if within two minutes of the end then the quarter following, and another player for every three fouls after that.
Ten players on a team. Five on the court at any one time.
I'd consider raising the ring six inches, and increasing the size of the ball for men a tad. Women stay with the ball they use now but maybe lower the ring six inches.
What do you think?
Pictured below is a rough diagram of what the court would look like, on the left my dimensions ( maybe showing the three point too far out ), and compare with the NBA court on the right. The four point/substitution area is also drawn. The area in blue is 1 point unless a dunk, outside there and before the three point line 2 points, then 3 behind the three point line, 4 within the substitution area and 5 from inside the centre circle in the front court, 6 anywhere legally behind the half way mark. Only allowed in the blue area for 2 seconds.
Hey guys, don't you find athletics boring? I enjoyed running cross-country but attending athletic events was a pain. I remember spending a whole afternoon waiting to see Hasely Crawford run ( he won of course ) and thought even then there had to be a better way.
First off, let's get rid of most of the distances competitors run and scrap all the current field events with the exception of one. My competition looks like this;
Foot race
No starting blocks.
50 metres sprint, starting at the 60 metre mark, runners line up in two parallel lines and go head-to-head like top fuel eliminators, winner to the next round, losers to a repechage. The top two times that are also winners in each round face one another in the final ( all losers can only be second or third at best ). The race is a flying 50 metres. No false starts, just are you fast, and the event takes place across two lanes while the field events are taking place.
Middle and longer distance - scratch and handicap
If handicapped the result is first across the line wins. If an event from scratch ( all start at the start and run the same distance ) then points are awarded for race performance.
Scratch 800 metres - first across the line at 400 metres scores a point, then points at the finish.
First - 4 points, Second - 2 points, Third - 1 point, Mid-race 1 point. In a tie mid-race decides.
Like this - a runner wins the race but he was at the back at the end of the first lap = 4 points.
Then the guy who comes second was second from last mid-race = 2 points
The guy who was third won the mid-race = 2 points.
Gold - 4 points
Silver - the person third across the line with the mid-race victory.
Bronze - the guy second across the line and second from last at the end of the first lap.
This structure prevents runners from hanging around the back and sprinting at the end. It rewards those who do well and try during the race.
Scratch 1600 metres - 4 laps - mid-race points scored at lap 2 and 3. This lets the field sort itself out during the first lap; 1 point each mid-race winner, first three across the line at the finish score.
First - 5 points, Second - 3 points, Third - 2 points, Mid-race - 1 point. If a competitor won both mid-race points and came second, he'd win the race as clearly he had done the best.
Scratch 3200 metres - 8 laps - mid-race points scored at 2,3,4,5,6. First across the line at lap 8 - 10 points, Second - 5 points, Third - 3 points.
Once again it is possible for those who make an effort mid-race to achieve a high place.
Finish outside the top 5 though and points wouldn't count. For points to count, the runner must finish in the top 5.
This structure keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, with something always happening.
The event could start with middle distance handicap, then scratch races, culminating in sprint eliminator with field events at the same time as the sprints.
Field events - scrap all current field events apart from the pole vault, which would be changed to jumping through a target window, which must be penetrated without touching the sides.
Basketball shooting - points scored 1, 2, 3, 5, 6; in one minute from pre-determined points.
Soccer kick accuracy - points scored for hitting the target at pre-determined points, more points scored the harder the kick, such as bending the ball around an obstacle.
Rugby passing - hit the target, suits all forms of hand-held ball sports. Once again more points from farther away and around an obstacle.
Standing jump, good for basketball and volleyball players and lineout jumpers, hit the tag with your hand, height raised until there is a winner.
Running jump - same as for standing but allowed a run up.
In all there are 6 field events, and 4 running distances meaning 8 events both scratch and handicap.
Relays could be held, say 50 + 1600 + 20 baskets at 20 feet + 800 metres.
A field event could be added I call a bat and ball biathlon, hitting and throwing a ball like a cricket or baseball, miss and they have to run a set distance - first across the line wins.
What do you think?
Famous races from history, how would they look if my system was used? Obviously races would be run differently, so bear that in mind, but just for arguments sake;
1976 1500 metres Montreal - the result stays the same but the winner John Walker scores 6 points as he won lap 3 and the finish. But the bronze would be in play as Eamon Coughlan came fourth but won a lap, if he'd taken another one he'd displace Wellman for third based on race performance.
1980 800 metres Moscow - the bronze would go to the Brazilian Agberto Guimaraes and not the Soviet runner Kirov. Guimaraes won the mid-race and came fourth ( remember my rule you have to be top five for the points to count ). This is fairer as the Brazilian ran a good race and did better, with the Soviet runner simply cashing in at the end.
