NBA announces new rule for intentional fouls
By Brad Weiss
Ever since the birth of Hack-a-Shaq, the NBA has had a problem with intentional fouls at the end of games. On Tuesday, they made a change to the rule.
It is a strategy that nearly every NBA team uses late in games. They look for the worst free throw shooter on the opposing team, and foul him continuously, sending him to the line to miss free throws. Although almost unbearable to watch, it actually does work. Just ask DeAndre Jordan, who missed 22 free throws in a single game.
On Tuesday, the NBA announced that it is making changes to their intentional fouling rules.
According to the NBA’s official press release, the NBA Board of Governors will put into place a new rule for the 2016-17. The rule change will carry over the current intentional foul rule in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter to all quarters.
What this means is that if a player fouls another player intentionally in the last two minutes of any quarter, the team will get one free throw and possession of the ball. This should do a lot to limit the amount of hacking goes on throughout the game.
“The current rule for away-from-the-play fouls applicable to the last two minutes of the fourth period (and last two minutes of any overtime)—pursuant to which the fouled team is awarded one free throw and retains possession of the ball—will be extended to the last two minutes of each period,” the league announced.
Players are still going to be hacked, but at least this new rule will at least try to limit it throughout the game.
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