NCAA recommends quarters for women’s basketball

The NCAA women's basketball rules committee has recommended a proposal to switch games to four 10-minute quarters, starting next season.

All rules proposals must be approved by the NCAA playing rules oversight panel, which is scheduled to discuss the recommended women's basketball rules changes via conference call June 8.

The proposed format change is endorsed by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors.

If approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, the four-quarter format will bring other changes to the game:

' Teams would reach the bonus to shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. In the current format, teams reach a one-and-one bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and reach the double bonus (two shots) on the 10th team foul.

' In the proposed four-quarter format, team fouls would be reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus in any additional overtime periods.

' Media timeouts in televised games would also be changed to one in each quarter. Media timeouts would occur at the first dead ball under the five-minute mark of each quarter and at the end of the first and third quarters. However, if a team calls timeout before the five-minute mark, that would be treated as the media timeout.

In the proposed format, teams would have four timeouts (three 30-second timeouts and one 60-second timeout). A team may use the 60-second timeout at the discretion of the coach during the first or second half of the game. Teams would be allowed to carry over only two of those timeouts into the second half. Each team would be awarded one 30-second timeout in each overtime period, plus any unused timeouts remaining from the second half.

The committee also recommended teams be allowed to advance the ball to the front court following a timeout called after made baskets in the last 59.9 seconds of the fourth quarter and any overtime periods.

Teams also would be allowed to advance the ball to the front court after securing the ball from a rebound or a change of possession and calling a timeout before any advancement of the ball (dribble or pass).

In these scenarios, the ball would be inbounded at the 28-foot mark on the side of the court where the scorer's table is located.

For the upcoming season, the committee is proposing a team not receive a new 10-second backcourt count when a throw-in results from the following:

' The ball is deflected out of bounds by the defense.

' There is a held ball and the possession arrow favors the offensive team.

' A technical foul is called on the offensive team while the ball is in its backcourt.