Approved! 2025-26 NCAA WBB Rules Changes

PRE-GAME

Today’s lineup:

• Tip-Off: Clarify The Concern❓

• Primary Coverage Area: New Rules Changes 🥳

• Crunch Time: Camp Season Is Hiring Season 💰

• Media Timeout: Free Throw Funnies 😂

• Option to Advance 👉🏼

• Game Report 📝

TIP OFF

Tip Of The Day: Clarify The Concern

Coach is heated on the sideline, and your first instinct might be to defend your call or shut down the conversation. But here's what separates veteran officials from rookies: we clarify before we react.

Before you respond to any coach interaction, take one crucial step back and ask yourself: What is this coach actually trying to communicate?

The Three-Question Filter:

• Is this a genuine question about a rule or situation?

• Is this a complaint about a specific call?

• Is this a tactical attempt to influence future calls?

Once you identify the real intent, use these neutral phrases to get clarity:

"Coach, what are you seeing out there?" "You're asking about the foul count?" "Help me understand your concern."

Why this works: Most heated exchanges happen because we're responding to what we think the coach said, not what they actually meant. When you clarify first, you often discover the coach has a legitimate question buried under their frustration.

This week's challenge: Try this approach in your next game. You'll be surprised how often "Coach, what are you seeing?" turns a potential confrontation into a productive 10-second conversation.

Remember: Our job isn't to win arguments—it's to manage the game effectively while maintaining respect from both sides.

Stay sharp out there. 👀

PRIMARY COVERAGE AREA

It's Official: Coach's Challenge Is Here

The NCAA just made coach's challenges are coming to women's basketball next season, and this changes everything for us on the floor.

The Big One: Coach's Challenge Coaches can now challenge four calls at ANY point in the game:

• Out-of-bounds calls

• Backcourt violations

• Who had possession before a shooting foul

• Which player committed a foul

The kicker? WE can't review these anymore . No timeout needed to challenge, but if they're wrong - technical foul.

Other Key Changes:

• Shot clock resets to 20 seconds when offense gets ball in front court after dead ball

• No more tucked jersey rule! 🙏🏼

• Playing with six players or using too many timeouts = team technical

• Jump stops are now legal when both feet land at roughly the same time

• If a suspended player plays, both player AND head coach sit the next game

Here's My Question:

Will this actually take pressure OFF us? Instead of coaches yelling "CHECK THE MONITOR!" every possession, they'll have to put their money where their mouth is with that challenge.

But here's what won't change - our fundamentals matter more than ever. Good positioning, clear communication, and confidence in our calls. Coaches will be watching everything, knowing they can challenge specific situations.

Bottom line: We've adapted to every rule change before, and we'll master this one too. The best officials make coaches think twice before using that challenge.

What's your take? Easier or harder for us next season?

CRUNCH TIME

The Hidden Truth About Camp Season

Here's what separates the officials who advance from those who plateau: They understand that camp isn't just about improvement, it's active hiring and firing season.

During the regular season, mistakes might blur together among hundreds of games. But at camp? Every possession matters. Every interaction is under a microscope.

The officials who get promoted aren't necessarily the ones grinding for years. They're the ones who show up with a game plan.

Your Scouting Report Strategy

You prepare scouting reports for teams and coaches—when's the last time you prepared one for your evaluator?

The smart officials are studying film of their clinicians. They're noting tendencies: Does this evaluator prioritize travel calls? Are they sticklers for mechanics? How do they handle officials struggling with coach management?

It's not about compromising integrity, it's about understanding your environment and adapting your communication style.

The Two-Half Reality

Many camps now limit evaluations to just two halves. Your window has shrunk dramatically.

First-quarter feedback isn't a suggestion—it's a directive. Officials who advance process feedback in real-time and implement changes immediately.

The Bottom Line

Camp season separates professionals from part-timers. Officials who treat it like a job interview:

• researching

• preparing

• adapting—are the ones climbing the ladder.

The question isn't whether you have the skills to advance. It's whether you have the preparation strategy to showcase them when it matters most.

Want access to discussions where we navigate camp hurdles? Click here to have the honest conversations that help officials navigate the gray areas.

MEDIA TIMEOUT

Free Throw Funnies

OPTION TO ADVANCE

GAME REPORT