“This alteration will impact block/charge plays in an effort to make this play easier to coach and officiate,” said Rick Byrd, head coach at Belmont University and chair of the committee, which met jointly with the National Association of Basketball Coaches board of directors and the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Committee. “In our discussions, the men’s basketball community, including coaches, officials and administrators, agreed that this rule needed adjustment.”
Last season, the committee changed the timeframe at which the defender must be in legal guarding position, adjusting it to when the airborne player started his upward motion with the ball to attempt a shot or pass. When reviewing game footage from last season, the committee concluded that those types of plays became more difficult to coach and officiate.