I agree with the coaches on this one. This rule is going to become a joke...

The Daily Athenaeum Wrote:Huggins against new charge rule
By Greg Carey
Published: Friday, November 6, 2009
Updated: Friday, November 6, 2009

Blocking and charging calls are the least consistent and toughest to make at any level in basketball. In an effort to make it easier for college basketball officials to decide between the two, this offseason the NCAA implemented a new rule.

The new rule is going to make the call even more inconsistent.

The rule states that defenders can no longer establish position directly under the basket and be rewarded with a charge called on the offensive player. In this case, under the basket is defined as the space located between the backboard and the front of the rim.

Even if the defender has his feet set and has been waiting to draw a charge, if the official believes he is in the prohibited zone, that defender is to be whistled for a blocking foul.

It seems like a legitimate rule because the NBA has something similar.

But there is a major difference in how the rule affects college and the NBA. In the NBA, there is an arched circle a few feet from the rim that marks the location of where a defender cannot be standing inside of to draw a charge.

The NCAA has decided to apply this rule without marking the floor, meaning what was already an extremely difficult call to make appears to have gotten even harder.

Many people throughout college basketball are not advocates of the change.

During Atlantic Coast Conference Basketball Media Day on Oct. 25, legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski shared his opinion.

"It’ll be a joke because it will become a joke," he said.

Krzyzewski went on to say that he agrees with the intent of the rule but believes the area should be marked on the floor.

It is safe to say Krzyzewski is not the only legendary coach who feels this way. In fact, you do not have to look far to find another.

"I think it leaves too much to interpretation," said West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins. "If you have the line on the floor you know whether they’re outside it or not, and I think it’s awful hard without a line on the floor."

I couldn’t agree more with both coaches. Not only does an official now need to decide if the defender is properly set, but he must locate both feet to determine where they are positioned in regards to the front of the rim. This rule makes it more of a judgment call for officials to differentiate between a block and charge.

Count West Virginia freshman forward Dan Jennings among those who believe there will be a lack of consistency with the rule.

"It’s confusing because they said from the backboard to the front of the rim, so the refs are going to get confused a lot because if you’re behind the backboard ,they’re probably going to call it regardless," Jennings said.

Considering that NBA referees still miss this call a fair share of times, it is easy to imagine NCAA referees struggling mightily with this rule in its first season.

Referees will be scolded for missing these calls, but the NCAA has not made their lives any easier.

No doubt he is correct. They should mark the floor or not change the rule.

Many basketball purists will say that the rule shouldn't be in place anyway...

I was wondering if anyone would comment on this. I'm with Huggy and K on this too. If they leave things open to interpretation, especially something they have trouble with in the NBA WITH the line on the floor, they're going to have nothing but controversy from this move without a line to deliniate the line of demarcation. It's a bad rule, and another one of the many bad moves by the NCAA...