A) Amateur Basketball Shot Clocks: 

There is a chapter within “Glass Backboards – A Coast-to-Coast Anthology of American Basketball” regarding tweaking the rules. Historically and thankfully the stalls ended with the amateur shot clock – college in 1985 (45 seconds), 35 seconds in 1993, and 30 seconds in 2015. Eleven states have high school basketball shot clocks. The evolution of basketball through the shot clock and use of it beginning with the 24 second NBA rule in 1954 paved the way to modern basketball transition. I was at Creighton when colleges were still allowed to stall most of the 20-minute halves, win at the free throw line by having a plethora of shooting guards on the floor, and fans walked out of the arena. North Carolina under Dean Smith brought the “Creighton” game to its team – and won a high percentage of games by stalling. 

Though within the rules, sports media applauded the wins with North Carolina’s adapted Creighton’s system (4-corners). I was unimpressed with these multi-minute stalls. Sports Illustrated described a 3-2 Iowa High School game. In the Spring I would rather watch snow melt; or receive some needed discipline and guidance from Mom. Amateur basketball was in jeopardy of imploding like roller derby. The shot clock and the 3-point shot saved the sport of basketball. Basketball shot clocks modernly need further tuning. There needs to be a 24 second rule throughout all of basketball (Pro Rule). Why? 

1)  Reward Defense for stops.

2)  Make an offensive play – it is the goal – teaches teams to avoid semi-stalls and initiate offense soon/

3) Instead of 4 statues and a ball hog (now called isolation), there is ball movement, screens, movement without the ball, picks underneath, older and needed shots returning (hooks); and when there is a crease, a shot must be created (team basketball). The game is more spontaneous, flowing, and natural with a 24 second shot clock.
 

4) Allows teams erasing a deficit to return to have a reasonable chance of overcoming the deficit. The winning team must play-on; and cannot sit on a lead. 
 

5) Fans having hope of a comeback.
 

6) Avoidance of a keep-away offensive game - hoping for a foul on a steal with officials disallowing incidental contact at the end of games. 
 

7) Avoidance of fouling at the end of games because of the deficit; a defensive stop is critical without foul shots.

Forcing a “bad” shot is good defense (part of the game. 

8) Teaches youth transition – the basketball game modernly was meant to be played with speed and tenacity. Fit teams are meant to win with all basketball skills being equal.

B) Block v Charge Call, Inner Circle, and Anticipatory or “Brush” Fouls
The difference between a block (defensive foul) and a charge (offensive foul) has to do with the objective legal guarding position of the defender. A moving defender without an elbow or hand push with more than incidental contact risks a defensive blocking foul. Likewise, if the defender is not moving and in a legal guarding position (2 feet set), then more than incidental contact is an offensive charge. The subjective dilemma of an objective rule is that when both are moving, the offense owns the court. Outside of the inner circle, contact without an offensive push by the arm/body/leg of an offensive driver is a defensive blocking foul. Contact beyond incidental within the circle despite establishment of a legal guarding position is a defensive blocking foul – despite hands held vertically and no body causing contact on an offensive player (generally shooting). 

My tweaking position in my book (Glass Backboards – A Coast-to-Coast Anthology of American Basketball) - is that there are no fouls barring the contact affecting the play (drive/shot/transition/pass). Crushing contact by two players (barring overtly intentional contact) away from the ball not affecting the play is a no-call. The inner circle should be removed – it allows offensive players with impunity to crush into players playing with historic legal defense. The inner circle creates more offensive foul shots, diverts needed creativity on drives (floaters/short jump shots/pull ups/or kickout passes to open offensive shooters). 

Additionally incidental or brush contact should NOT be a foul. Video reviews frequently reveal anticipatory (sometimes no contact) or slight incidental contact when a player makes a layup – sorry it did not affect the shot – it is not in my mind a 3-point opportunity. Key players in non-NBA hoops obtaining 2 fouls early in the first half because of such nonsense rules and officiating leave the game. Fans came to watch and key players came to play – not sit on the bench – many calls from incidental contact not affecting the play. Contact where the inner circle arose is applied in the same manner as a drive at the elbow – if the contact did not affect the shot or defense – no foul either way. A brush foul 35 feet from the basket not affecting possession, a shot, dribble, pass, loose ball, or screen should not be a foul. The key is contact affecting the play – if the more than incidental contact affects the shot, pass, dribble, possession, rebound, or a screen, it is a defensive foul. Play on!