NCAA to experiment with rule changes in NIT tournament, including no one-and-ones

Among the experimental rules is a quarter-like format that essentially divides the game into four periods.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a set of experimental rules that will be in effect during the NIT tournament. Most notable among the changes is a new rule which essentially divides the game into four periods and eliminates the one-and-one free-throw scenario.

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Under the experimental rule, each team's total fouls will reset to zero at the 10:00 mark of each half. Instead of the current foul limits for a half—seven team fouls before the opposing team shoots one-and-one after every foul and 10 team fouls before the opposition shoots two free throws after every foul—the limit for team fouls will be four for each 10-minute period.

Once a team reaches that limit, every personal or technical foul it commits will result in two free throws for the opposing team. If a game goes to overtime, the foul limit will be three for each 5-minute extra period. 

The NCAA said in its release that it was aware of the ongoing discussion in the college basketball community about a potential change to a four-quarter format rather than the two-half one currently in place. Women's college basketball switched from two 20-minute halves to four 10-minute quarters prior to the 2015-16 season. 

The other experimental rule that will be in place stipulates that the shot clock will reset to 20 seconds instead of 30 seconds in instances when the ball is inbounded in the front court. The NCAA said the purpose of this rule is to try to increase the number of possessions and thus increase scoring. 

The NCAA tested the 30-second shot clock in the 2015 NIT tournament before adopting it across all competitions starting in the 2015-16 season.