'No-charge zone' approved in basketball

The "no-charge zone" now is officially destined to be added to the vernacular in college men's basketball.

In an e-mail message Thursday afternoon, NCAA spokeswoman Gail Dent said the NCAA Rules Oversight Committee approved all recommended rules during its Wednesday telephone conference.

The NCAA Basketball Playing Rules Committee had recommended the new rule, which creates a no-charge zone for "help" defenders that extends from the front of the rim to the front of the backboard.

If a help defender has even a part of a foot in that roughly 24-inch area and is involved in contact on a drive, that defender automatically will be called for a defensive foul.

Some coaches and referees had hoped to have an arc drawn on the court to define the no-charge zone the way the NBA has. ACC officiating coordinator John Clougherty was among those who said an arc would have helped referees see the no-charge zone better.

But the Playing Rules Committee was concerned about a four-year waiting period that would have been required to allow schools to have the arcs painted on their courts.

- Ken Tysiac