Shortened Shot Clock Just One of Many College Basketball Rules Changes

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel today voted for a package of rule changes in a package of proposals that the sports' keepers hope will improve the pace of play and offer more offensive fluidity in the games.

The headliner is reducing the shot clock to 30 seconds.

From the NCAA itself, here are the key areas of officials' focus next season:

• Perimeter defense, particularly on the dribbler and strictly enforcing directives established  before the 2013-14 season.
• Physicality in post play.
• Screening, particularly moving screens and requiring the screener to be stationary.
• Block/charge plays.
• Allowing greater freedom of movement for players without the ball.

And here are the change of pace rule changes:

• Adjusting the media timeout procedures to allow a timeout called within 30 seconds of a break (at the 16:30 mark) or at any time after the scheduled media timeout becomes the media timeout.
• Removing the ability for a coach to call timeout when the ball is live.
• Allowing a total of only 10 seconds to advance the ball to the front court (with a few exceptions).
• Reducing the amount of time allotted to replace a disqualified player from 20 to 15 seconds

According to the NCAA, the scoring in Division I men's basketball dipped to 67.6 points/game last season, which "neared historic lows for the sport."

OSU coach Thad Matta is on record for supporting the changes.