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NIT Will Use Experimental Rules That Will Affect The Game

By Justin Phillips

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Head coach Dana Altman of the Oregon Ducks signals his players during a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the USC Trojans at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Head coach Dana Altman of the Oregon Ducks signals his players during a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the USC Trojans at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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National Invitational Tournament Rules will speed up the game and cause headaches for coaches.

When the Oregon Ducks face the Rider Broncs in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament, the rules will differ from a typical NCAA Game in a number of ways.

The NIT over the last few years has experimented with potential changes and this year is no different.

Fans will notice several things. The 3-point line is the Three-point line for FIBA and International Competition. The lanes inside the key are two feet farther apart, also typical of FIBA rules. The biggest noticeable change will be in the time of the game. Rather than using traditional halves, the game will be broken into 4 Quarters.

The 4 Quarters Change was put into effect for the Women’s game several seasons back and has had no ill effects as teams simply adjusted. Head Coach Dana Altman told the media on Monday that he has never coached outside of College and never coached a game with 4 Quarters in his career. Tuesday night will be the first.

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All timeouts for the game will be 3 minutes in length for Oregon and Rider. The 1st and 3rd Quarters will see Timeouts near the 5-minute mark. The fifth foul in each quarter will trigger the double bonus and two free throws.

While some of the changes are meant to speed up the game, the biggest one on the court is the game clock. The standard possession time per team is 30 seconds, but the NIT this year will change to a 20-second clock for possessions.

All of the above will certainly have an impact on how both teams use their bench and if there is foul trouble, a shorter shot clock will certainly keep things interesting.

The Oregon Ducks and Rider Broncs tip off at 7 pm Pacific Time from Matthew Knight Arena. The game is also on ESPN3.

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