In late June, the NCAA implemented a 10-second backcourt rule for women’s basketball.
Previously, teams could spend any amount of the 30-second shot clock behind the mid-court line. Now, if the ball does not cross half court in 10 seconds, the offensive team will turn the ball over.
Ball State women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee was not thrilled with the rule change.
“I wasn’t necessarily a proponent of changing the rules,” he said. “I think our game has been appreciated for what it is and I would like to see this build on that instead of trying to change.”
NCAA women’s basketball was the only level of the sport throughout the world that did not have some form of the backcourt rule. Sallee said a positive impact from the change will be a heightened experience for the casual fan.
“It helps with just generally getting the rules of basketball closer together,” he said. “You hear so many people come watch a women’s game and start yelling about the ten seconds and they don’t know the rules. This will get the casual fan a little bit more in tune.”
Rule committees believe that the change will speed up the tempo of the game and create more offensive scoring opportunities.
Sallee said the rule will also encourage teams to use a full-court press on defense in an attempt to force turnovers.
“I think everybody is going to have it in their arsenal now, to try and use it to turn teams over,” he said. “It will be something that we’ll bring a little bit this year. We have in the past, but I think our depth, our athleticism and length will allow us to press a little bit more.”
Offensively, Ball State looks to have all the tools necessary to break a full-court press. Ball handlers in Brandy Woody and Nathalie Fontaine, as well as incoming freshmen, will allow the team to aggressively push the ball.
“I don’t see it really affecting us a whole lot,” Sallee said. “I’ve always had the philosophy that if you press against us we’re going to try and score off of it. We’re not just going to set it up at the end. We’ll have to make the right decisions to do it, but we’ve certainly got the skill-set to do it.”
With the addition of two recruits over 6-foot-3 in height, Ball State will be able to play through the post as well.
Sallee said an increased focus on the post game will be important to his team next season. Outside scorers will contrast the inside players, making for what he believes will be a strong offensive combination.
It could also help to keep the opposing team from utilizing the full-court press on defense.
“It makes teams expend energy to keep you out of the post, and opens up the perimeter where we have plenty of scorers,” he said. “That’s my bread and butter, pushing it into the post. I’ve had some really good, all-conference type of post players for the nine years I’ve been a head coach.”
The potential for a new offensive look is exciting for Sallee.
“If you don’t change a little bit from year to year, then you can get a little bit stale and we definitely don’t want that to happen,” he said.
