During the preseason, the league had the opportunity to review the frequency and happenstance by which players touch the ball after made baskets, and calibrate the interpretation of the delay-of-game violation. As mentioned in our previous post, the Competition Committee decided over the summer to more strictly interpret the Delay-of-Game rule in an effort to eliminate any advantage gained by the new defensive team by delaying an inbound.

Referees will call a delay-of-game any time a player on the new defensive team after a made basket holds or redirects the ball. When this occurs, his team will be assessed a delay-of-game warning on their first offense or a technical foul following a previous delay warning.

[There may continue to be a period of adjustment in the regular season, but teams and players tend to adjust quickly to new rules and the change will be beneficial going forward.]

Permissible Actions:
Contact (and in particular, hand contact) with the ball after a made basket that is accidental or unavoidable will not be deemed to delay the game, provided that players do not hold the ball or otherwise redirect it. More specifically, players on the new defensive team should avoid any contact with the ball after made baskets, and when such contact is unavoidable, they should treat the ball as a �hot potato.�

Here is an example of permissible contact with the ball after a made basket:

Impermissible Actions:
Players may not seek contact with the ball or, when the contact is accidental, hold or redirect the ball in some way. In some cases, the player may appear to speed up an inbound by redirecting the ball to the referee or opposing team. However, any intentional contact, holding or redirecting of the ball will be called to help ensure consistent application of the rule. Here are examples of impermissible contact:
– Example 1
– Example 2