Big Rule Changes Coming for NCAA Women's Basketball

This winter there are going to be some big changes to women's college basketball, with several game-changing alterations to not just the rules, but the actual structure of each women's basketball contest. With the season fast approaching, it's helpful to take a look at the biggest changes and how they will impact the game.

• Beginning this season, women's college basketball games will no longer be structured as two halves, but rather will be split into four quarters. The overall time of a game (40 minutes) will remain the same, but now each game will be divided into 10 minute quarters. This is only for women's college basketball; the men's game will remain two 20 minute halves. The time between the first and second, and third and fourth quarters will be 75 seconds, with a full halftime between the second and third quarters.
• With quarters instead of halves, one area directly impacted will be when a team enters the bonus to shoot free throws. Previously, seven fouls in one half would lead to a one-and-one free throw situation, with teams getting two free throws at 10 fouls. That will no longer be the case. Instead, fouls will reset after each quarter, with the bonus being reached at five fouls. There will no longer be one-and-one opportunities in women's college basketball; as soon as a team enters the bonus at five fouls, they will get two free throw attempts for the rest of that quarter.
• One important note with regard to free throws and bonus situations: upon entering overtime, the fouls do not reset. If a team is in the bonus at the conclusion of the fourth quarter, it will remain in the bonus for the duration of the game.
• Rules regarding inbounding the ball have also been altered. Now, at any point under 59.9 seconds to play in either the fourth quarter or overtime, if a team takes the ball out at the far end of the court and calls time out, they will have the option to advance the ball to halfcourt. 
• Additionally, the 10-second count rule has been slightly altered for the upcoming year as well. Previously, the 10-second count in advancing the ball into the frontcourt was reset if the ball was deflected out of bounds by the defense, if there is a held ball with the offensive team remaining in possession, and if a technical foul is called on the offensive team while the ball is in the backcourt. This will no longer be the case. Instead, the 10-second count will not reset under any of those scenarios.
• With regard to timeouts, during live action coaches are not permitted to call timeout. When the ball is live, only the players will be granted timeouts. Coaches are still permitted to call timeout when the ball is dead and the clock is stopped (for example: after a foul or made basket).

These are the major rule changes for the women's game. A full breakdown of rules changes can be viewed online.

The men's game will remain virtually the same, with the only major change being the reduction of the shot clock from 35 seconds to 30 seconds. The women's shot clock is not impacted by any of the new rules, and will remain 30 seconds.