NIT To Experiment With '4-Quarter Style' Rules

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Next month's NIT will experiment with rules, incorporating elements of playing four quarters while staying with a two-half format.

The NCAA said Monday its rules oversight panel has approved resetting team fouls to zero at the end of 10-minute segments in each half, as well as doing away with the 1-and-1 free throw in favor or two foul shots on many fouls.

Instead, teams will shoot two free throws after teams have reached a four-foul limit during each 10-minute segment and three fouls during overtime. The fouls will reset at the 9:59 mark of each half.

The NCAA said in a statement the mid-half reset "may have the same effect" as resetting fouls at the end of 10-minute quarters while retaining "the unique format" of 20-minute halves.

The NIT starts March 14 and ends March 30 in New York.

The panel also approved resetting the shot clock to 20 seconds, or leaving it the same if there was more time when play was stopped, instead of going back to 30 seconds when a team inbounds the ball in its frontcourt after a foul that results in no free throws. This would also include any technical foul against the defense or if the game is stopped for a player who is bleeding or has blood on his uniform.

The Men's Basketball Rules Committee wants to see if that increases the number of possessions in a game, and therefore scoring, the NCAA said.

The results of the changes will be reviewed during the committee's May meeting. The committee said other postseason tournaments can also use the experimental rules if they agree to gather data for the committee's review.

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