FIBA and the NBA: Is the NBA That We Know Now About To Change?

Most basketball fans know that one of the biggest difficulties for Team USA when playing in international competitions is getting used to playing with FIBA rules. Players, when practicing for FIBA games, have forgotten timeout rules, or various violations; one of the most interesting rule differences is the fact that goaltending is allowed in FIBA, while not in the NBA.

Players who have grown up playing basketball knowing that goaltending is illegal suddenly had to reprogram themselves in a matter of weeks to think otherwise. Obviously, this lifelong habit is hard to change, and no doubt is difficult sometimes for players to play in FIBA. But what about intentional goaltending—but in the NBA?

Patrick Baumann, the secretary general of FIBA, commented that he would like to see the NBA adapt FIBA's rules of goaltending—in other words, allow players to knock the ball off the rim. At that time, Baumann's comments seemed ridiculous; why would the NBA make such a change?

But then came September 29, 2010. Executive vice president for basketball operations Stu Jackson announced that the D-League would begin using international rules for goaltending and overtime periods (shortening them from five minutes to three minutes) so that they (the NBA) can look at international rules and see if it can make the current NBA game more competitive.

Firstly, without expressing any opinions regarding this issue, I question the NBA's move to use the D-League as an experiment for these rules. Isn't the D-League supposed to prepare players for the NBA? If they are playing under international rules, how is it preparing them for the different set of rules that is in play in the real league?

Which begs the question: Is the NBA that we know it about to change? Will we see Dwight Howard slapping basketballs out when they are rolling on the rim? Certainly, this would get rid of offensive goaltending, and we would probably see more "put-back" dunks in the game.

Secondly, this would change the game in more ways than one would imagine. All current pros would have to rewire their minds to do something they programmed themselves NOT to do for the past 25, 30 years.

Athletic shot blockers like Dwight Howard can continue blocking shots, but other centers can simply wait for a layup to roll on the rim and knock it out of bounds. Young athletes hoping to be a pro will have to adapt to these rules, and it will probably mean changes in college level basketball as well.

It is a pretty significant step for the NBADL to adapt these rules, as that signifies that the NBA is actually serious about looking into adapting FIBA rules. FIBA rules do not include the defensive three-second rule, and they call for 40 minute games instead of 48 minutes.

Again, these rules will dramatically shake up the entire NBA if implemented—but of course, this is just a slippery slope, as no new rule changes have been implemented in the actual NBA as of today.

But Mr. Jackson, and all the other NBA executives, if you really wish to make basketball more competitive, allow for better defense, and yes this is overstated, but get rid of the hand-checking rule. Basketball of the '90s was competitive; there is no need adapting FIBA rules just to try and make it more competitive.

The NBA has always been the gold standard of basketball, and so it should remain. While these rules are indeed interesting, there is nothing that indicates that they will improve the quality of basketball played. The NBA has a lot more pressing issues than goaltending, and it would be much appreciated if the NBA could address those issues first before trying to fix something that is not broken.