👀 What's Changing This Season (And What Never Should)

PRE-GAME

Today’s lineup:

• Tip-Off: Technical Foul Test ✅

• Primary Coverage Area: NCAA WBB Rules Change Proposal 📜

• Crunch Time: When Your Technical Foul Backfires 😬

• Media Timeout: Free Throw Funnies 😂

• Option to Advance 👉🏼

• Game Report 📝

TIP OFF

The Technical Foul Test ✅

Before you blow that whistle for a technical, ask yourself these four questions:

1. Was it warranted? (Clear rule violation, not just frustration)

2. Will supervisors support it? (Documented behavior, not a quick trigger)

3. Does it meet the standard? (Crosses the line of acceptable behavior)

4. Will it de-escalate the game? (Strategic timing, not emotional reaction)

Miss any of these four, and you might find yourself explaining a technical foul that "felt right" but doesn't hold up under scrutiny.

The best technical fouls are the ones that make everyone—including the coach—nod and say "yeah, that was coming." ✅

PRIMARY COVERAGE AREA

Coach's Challenge Coming to Women's College Hoops? 🏀⏱️

The last two minutes in a tight ball game can feel like they take forever because of constant replay reviews…and the NCAA might be looking to fix it.

This week in Indianapolis, the NCAA women's basketball rules committee proposed a potentially game-changing "coach's challenge" system for the 2025-26 season.

If approved, this could put the power (and responsibility) back in the coaches' hands.

Here's how it would work if implemented:

What coaches could challenge at ANY point in the game:

• Out-of-bounds calls

• Backcourt violations

• Whether possession changed before a foul with free throws

• Whether the right player was called for a foul

The catch? If this passes, we officials would NO LONGER be able to initiate reviews on these plays (except for checking if the right player was fouled). If coaches want it reviewed, they'd have to challenge it themselves.

And here's the kicker: Failed challenges would result in a technical foul for excessive timeout. No timeout required to challenge, but if you're wrong, you're getting T'd up. 😬

Baylor’s coach, Nicki Collen, who chairs the rules committee referenced her concern with the pace of play. She deemed that putting the onus on the coaches to challenge out-of-bounds violation would increase flow at the end of the games while still allowing for the opportunity to get the call right.

Other potential changes if approved:

• 20-second shot clock when offense gets the ball in frontcourt after a dead ball

• No more tucked-in jersey requirements 🙌

• Multiple "hot stove" touches on stationary players or dribblers would be legal (as long as they don't affect rhythm or reroute) 🙏🏼

• Jump stops where feet land at approximately the same time would be legal (no more travel calls on these)

• Excessive timeouts or six players on court would be a team technical foul

If these changes go through, here's what it could look like for us:

This would essentially transfer the pressure from us to the coaches. Instead of us having to decide whether something's worth reviewing, coaches would have to decide if it's worth risking a technical foul.

If we're working women's games under these new rules, we could see smoother game flow but also face more pressure to get those critical calls right the first time. No safety net of "we can always review it later."

But would this actually solve the problem or just create new pressure points? If coaches have to choose between saving their challenge for the "right moment" versus using it early, what happens to those borderline calls that could go either way?

Remember, these are still just proposals. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel meets June 10th to make the final decision.

Whatever happens, we'll adapt. That's what we do best. The game evolves, the rules change, and we find ways to keep making it work.

But here's the big question: If these changes do get approved, do you think putting the challenge burden on coaches instead of having automatic reviews would make our games better? Would it help the flow, or just shift the pressure to a different spot?

Drop us a line…we'd love to hear your thoughts on this potential shift! 🦓

CRUNCH TIME

When Your Technical Foul Backfires

On our last call, I shared a situation that still bothers me.

New league, coach’s constant complaining even after an official warning. I gave him the technical.

But here's the problem: Looking back at those four "defendable technical foul" criteria, mine didn't check all the boxes.

The technical foul didn't de-escalate the situation. It did the opposite.

The coach went ballistic!

Now I'm facing a second technical and ejection decision, but I'm hesitating because I'm new to this league and don't want to be labeled as the official who can't handle coaches.

Where I erred: Giving a technical foul and pointing at the coach in such close proximity.

What I learned: Put some distance between myself and the situation. Don’t give a coach room to continue berating you without consequence, but don’t bait either.

If the second technical is warranted by the rules, your "new status" shouldn't factor into that decision.

Have you ever given a technical that backfired because it didn't meet the strategic criteria? Or hesitated on a second technical because of politics?

Hit reply and share your experience. These are the situations we break down in our community calls—real scenarios, real solutions.

Want access to discussions where we analyze exactly these kinds of game management decisions? Click here to have the honest conversations that help officials navigate the gray areas.

MEDIA TIMEOUT

Free Throw Funnies

OPTION TO ADVANCE

GAME REPORT