Women's college basketball games to consist of 10-minute quarters

Women's college basketball games will feature four 10-minute quarters instead of two, 20-minute halves during the the 2015-16 season, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel announced Monday.

Women's college basketball games will feature four, 10-minute quarters instead of two, 20-minute halves during the the 2015-16 season, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel announced Monday. 

The rule change, which was passed along with several amendments to the men's game, was made to "enhance the flow of the game," according to an NCAA release. 

Additionally, women's college basketball opponents will now reach the double bonus and be eligible to shoot two free throws once a team reaches five fouls in a quarter. The foul total will reset at the beginning of each quarter. The one-and-one bonus, where teams are allowed to shoot a second free throw only if they make the first one, will be done away with. 

Previously, opponents would enter the one-and-one bonus if a team had committed seven fouls, and the double-bonus once a team had committed 10 fouls, over the course of a 20-minute half.  

• NCAA approves 30-second shot clock for men's college basketball

Other changes included the allowance of female defenders to put an arm bar into offensive post players' backs when playing defense, and the permitting of music - either live or recorded - to be played during any dead ball situation, as opposed to only during timeouts.

On Monday the committee also announced that men's college basketball games during the upcoming season will feature a 30-second shot clock instead of a 35-second shot clock. The change is widely considered to be a move aimed at increasing scoring in the men's game.