In the past few weeks, a new rule has been implemented in high school basketball, in attempt to further restrict players from coming into harmful physical contact with each other. In accordance to this “Hand-Check Rule,” the basketball team has been changing up the way that they play.
So far, there hasn’t been much alteration in gameplay, Austin Fox really thinks it’ll have much impact on the outcome of games.
“This rule shouldn’t affect our team’s play as far as hard work and effort,” said Fox, “However, it may have some more effect when it comes to physicality on the defensive end. We won’t be allowed as much contact as last year.”
Senior Andrew Davis also agreed with this observation and gives his thoughts on how it will affect the team.
“I don’t know much about the rule yet, but what I do know is that they aren’t letting us be as physical as last year,” said Davis, “We’ll really only have to worry about fouling the other team, but they’ll have to do the same unless one of us plays a zone defense. The past couple of games were actually pretty tough because I’m so used to the old rule. I even fouled out of a game.”
The Hand-Check Rule also applies to the Lady Wildcats. Girl’s Basketball Assistant Coach, Timothy Aynes, said that the new rule will affect the girl’s team and their game plan as well.
“It’s actually not a new rule, it’s a point of emphasis,” said Coach Aynes. “It’s always been in the rules that you’re not supposed to put your hands on the other team, it’s supposed to be non-contact. But over the years it’s gotten progressively a little rougher. The emphasis now is to call it a lot tighter and especially out on the floor.” Coach Aynes also believes that certain outcomes for games rely on which referee is running the game.
“Depending on what referees you get, some of them call it a lot closer, there’s a whole lot more free throws and a whole lot more foul trouble,” said Coach Aynes, “It’s just something everybody is gonna have to be adjusting to. On our very first junior varsity game we had to quit pressing. The other team was already shooting in the double bonus before the first quarter was over so every time we touched anybody they were getting two free throws, so we had to really back off our man-to-man pressure and quit full court pressing because of the easy risk of fouling them and putting them at the free-throw line.”
Boy’s basketball coach Scott Bowlin says that the rule could pose as a threat and a disadvantage for the boy’s team and create new obstacles for the players to face.
“I don’t really necessarily agree with the rule,” said Coach Bowlin, “I think that there have to be limitations on what you can do with that as far as hand-checking and rough-play but I think what it really does is it gives the more athletic teams an advantage just because of their speed and quickness.”
Coach Bowlin says that because of this rule, the team could experience some difficulty with the more athletically developed teams.
“People like us here at Har-Ber, we want to play more physically so therefore we’re having to change a little bit of our philosophy on how we want to do it especially out on the open floor area,” said Coach Bowlin, “We can’t, what I call, bump and grind, but we’ll see.”