Top 5+ NBA rules that need to be changed right away

Five recommendations

The NBA is in a pretty good place right now, but they shouldn't get complacent. We have recommendations to change five rules that would enhance the NBA's product moving forward.

1. Hack a player

We’ve seen it for years. From Shaquille O’Neal, to Ben Wallace, to Dwight Howard to Mitchell Robinson. Hack a player puts historically poor free throw shooters at the line, as the fouling team believes that this will force empty possessions for their opponent. This also forces the team with the poor free throw shooter to decide whether they can afford to have the player on the floor in the first place.

Strategy versus style

In the same piece, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said, “I’m sensitive about guys being able to make their free throws, and I also find that sometimes it’s a fascinating strategy.” There’s something to be said for NBA players making millions of dollars being able to convert free throws, but the hack a player strategy stops the free-flowing nature of an NBA game dead in its tracks.

2. Block-charge calls or reviews

It’s a situation fans are all too familiar with. An offensive player is dribbling at full speed towards the hoop, and a defensive player tries to slide in front of them in order to take a charge. The next few seconds are spent slowing the replay down to a crawl to try to figure out whether the defender got in front of the offensive player in time, and determine whether they were fully stationary.

Dubious definition

John Marshall of the Associated Press wrote a story about the block-charge call in the NCAA, and how it feels nebulous at best. That sentiment holds true for the NBA game as well, as replays can slow the sequence down to a halt, and it’s still tough to determine whether the defender was in legal guarding position or not.

Making a change

It might not make complete sense to do away with block-charge calls, as offensive players might barrel into defenders without repercussion. With that said, it might not be the worst idea in the world to get rid of the ability to review these calls, which are often nitpicky in nature to dissect anyway.

3. Cylinder rebounding

The imaginary cylinder above the rim is a construct that NBA fans are extremely familiar with. Offensive players are not allowed to touch the ball when it’s above the cylinder to go for an offensive rebound, and defensive players are not allowed to have their hands in this area in order to knock a rebound off the rim. Why can’t we take a look at this?

Overseas ideas

Basketball fans who have watched the Olympics or other international tournaments know it doesn’t work this way in those settings. As noted by Euro Pro Basket’s website, FIBA allows the defensive player to knock the ball off the rim and the offensive player to touch the ball once it has struck the rim.

4. Rolling the ball up the court with the clock stopped

It’s something that allows teams to get cute in order to save time on the shot clock or keep the game clock running without any action taking place. We’ll usually see it on an inbound when teams have to go the full length of the floor. The inbounder will roll the ball towards their teammate, knowing that the clock won’t start until said teammate picks the ball up.

Rolling the rock

Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star wrote a piece in December 2023 discussing how the Indiana Pacers were using this loophole to their advantage. He wrote, “With each team investing more time, money and energy into analytics, such end-of-game strategies have emerged.” This might not be for the good of the game, though.

Risky business

Bill Simmons of The Ringer podcast network has talked about the possibility of a defender inadvertently diving into the offensive player’s legs in order to grab a rolling basketball. Granted, defenses can stop this tactic by applying fullcourt pressure, but this rule might be something the NBA should take a look at.

5. Back-to-back timeouts

The conversation that many sports leagues actively engage in is how to speed up the game. It feels like the NBA game has been slowed down a bit by the number of replays and challenges that are now available for teams. One way to counteract the presence of replay challenges and the stoppages they cause is to stop/discourage teams from taking consecutive timeouts.

Counterpoint

Fans might wonder what would happen if a team had trouble inbounding the ball in a late game situation coming out of a timeout. If they can’t take another one, then the inbounder might have to force the ball inbounds, increasing the likelihood of a turnover. What’s wrong with that? A wild scramble on a helter-skelter play is something that makes the game more exciting, and keeps the game moving forward to completion.