NCAA May Move 3-Point Line Back One Foot
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INDIANAPOLIS —College basketball players might want to start polishing up their long-range shooting.
The men’s basketball rules committee approved a measure Thursday that would move the 3-point line back one foot in 2008–09 — from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches. If approved by the playing rules oversight committee on May 25, it would mark the first major alteration to the 3-point shot since its inception in 1986–87.
The move comes after more than a decade of debate about whether to move the line. The extended line has been used on an experimental basis in some early season tournaments and NCAA statistics have not shown a dramatic change in shooting percentages from the longer line. But the rules change had never previously passed the rules committee for regular-season and postseason games.
“I am a little surprised they have made the change, but I have no real problem with it,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. “I am certainly glad they didn’t move it back to the NBA distance and certainly glad the committee did not widen the lane along with moving the 3-point line.”
Chairman Larry Keating said the committee considered two proposals. The other would have moved the line to 20 feet, 6 inches, the same distance as international 3-pointers. Both are shorter than the NBA line, which is 23 feet, 9 inches at the top of the key and 22 feet at its shortest point in the baseline corners.
