New Rules in, out and Tweaked in G League

The G League is going to try some new rules, keep some others and send others to the cooler in the 2017-18 season. Here’s a brief overview to keep you in tune with the changes.

When you go to the Sanford Pentagon to see the Sioux Falls Skyforce this year, you will see a few different wrinkles to help keep the game flowing. There will also some elements that were used previously that will be back again.

Let’s start with the changes that matter most. First, all G League preseason games and regular season games in November will have four-person crews. This is a minor extension of a concept used sparingly last year.

If we fast forward to the end of the year, the playoff format will change. With 26 teams the post season field will move up to 12 teams. Each conference’s three division winners plus three wild cards will qualify. Additionally, only the G League finals will be a best-of-three affair. All other playoff rounds will be one game knockout style with the top two teams in each conference getting byes.

Within the game watch for these upgrades. Overtime periods will be two minutes in length which is down from three minutes in previous years. There is a Coach’s Challenge that can be used at any time in the game, but will be limited to three areas: fouls, basket interference/goaltending and out-of-bounds calls. Plus there will be events that can officials can call for an instant replay. 1) Flagrant Fouls 2) Two/Three Point shot clarification 3) End of Period baskets or fouls 4) Altercation between players.

These are the rules that differ from the NBA that remain in place from last season. Offensive rebounds will cycle the shot clock to :14. The reset timeout will allow the ball to advance and personnel changes but not to huddle in the fourth quarter and overtime periods. Fouls committed away from the play will result in a one-shot foul .

No longer in effect are modifications to flopping rules which penalized the guilty party in-game. Neither will it take six team fouls to get to the penalty. The standard NBA rules will apply to both (5 team fouls, flopping penalties administered after the game).

Before long the G League Draft will take place and the games will begin on November 3, 2017.

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