The rule allowing a player to call timeout while airborne or falling out of bounds might be eliminated for both men’s and women’s college teams this season.
The Basketball Rules Committees agreed that a change needs to be made and a proposal will be sent to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel for final approval on May 30.
I can’t adequately describe my disdain for this rule as it currently exists. I despise the “airborne timeout.” It’s a stupid rule, and I believe an unfair one as well. I see it used all of the time, and it drives me crazy, even when it’s an advantage for my team. If you can’t get the ball and land inside the lines, then it’s a turnover. Period.
But the most offensive thing about this rule - from my perspective, at least - is seeing it used early in a game. A guy runs down a loose ball near the sideline, jumps in the air, calls time out, and lands in the first row. Now, with 17:20 on the clock in the first half, was that posession really important enough to burn a timeout? I can’t think of another rule that I’d like to see eliminated more than this one. Hopefully, they’ll do the right thing and end this nonsense.
Duke gets Lance Thomas
I didn’t get around to mentioning this last week, but there was more good news for Duke basketball. A week after Josh McRoberts announced he would return next season, power forward Lance Thomas announces he will be coming to Duke.
I haven’t closely followed their recruiting of Thomas, but evidently he is ranked in the top 20 incoming freshmen, and at 6-9 will give Duke a little more size (and, apparently, athleticism) inside. According to some, his addition has moved Duke’s incoming freshman class up near the top of the list, with some saying it now matches any class in the country except for what are considered the two best, Ohio State and North Carolina. So, all the predicitions of Duke’s deminse upon that graduation of Redick and Williams (and, a few weeks ago, the possiblity of McRoberts’ departure) will likely not come to pass. I suspect they’ll have a pretty good year next year and, once again, be at the top of the ACC with Carolina.
Amen! And while we’re at it, let’s get rid of the possession arrow too and go back to some version of the jump ball.
That’s good news about Thomas. Sounds like he’ll be a fine addition. Who knows, if a Flordia team full of freshmen and sophomores can get it done, maybe Duke can too.
May 9, 2006
Yeah, Mike, I agree. The “alternate possession” rule should be the next to go.
May 10, 2006