Flopping, three-point line addressed in WNBA rule changes for 2013 season
BY Staff Reports
Thursday, December 13, 2012
12/13/12 at 1:29 PM
The WNBA extended its 3-point line and announced rules changes regarding flopping and defensive three seconds for the 2013 season.
The 3-point arc will be extended from 20 feet, 6-1/4 inches to a depth of 22 feet, 1-3/4 inches, consistent with international (FIBA) competition.
Ivory Latta led the Tulsa Shock with 69 treys last season. Leading the Shock in 3-point percentage were Temeka Johnson (.531, 34-for-62) and Jennifer Lacy (.404, 44-for-109).
Extending the line in 2004 led to an increase in 3-point shooting percentage, said Renee Brown, WNBA chief of basketball operations and player relations.
Brown said the deeper 3-point line and defensive three-second rule will create additional spacing on the floor and provide players with more opportunities to drive the ball toward the basket.
Under the three-second rule, any defensive player within the lane or area extending four feet past the lane endline must be actively guarding an opponent within three seconds after the ball has entered the front court. Under the rule change, an infraction will result in a technical foul against the defensive team.
Brown called flopping, defined as any physical act that appears to be intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player, a “detriment to the game.”
During preseason games, warnings will be issued. During the regular season, the first offense will receive a warning, followed by fines of increasing amounts, leading to suspension. Separate penalties will be announced later in the playoffs, the league announced.
The NBA implemented a similar rule its 2012-13 season, now in progress.
