The Philippine basketball Association (PBA) has adopted a new set of guidelines -- including a couple of FIBA-inspired rules -- that will take effect this 2007-08 season.


Adjustments in the three-point line, hand checking, goal tending, zone
measurement and penalty situation are among those approved by the
league's competition committee that will be implemented for the entire
PBA pre-season games starting today.


In the event no glitch is encountered in the imposition of the new
rules, the league will formally adopt it beginning the 33rd season that
begins on Oct. 14.


"The new rules are expected to add more excitement, speed up play and
likely increase the scoring in the league," said PBA Officer-In-Charge
Sonny Barrios.


PBA operations director Rickie Santos, a member for the competitions
committee, believes the new rules will help improve the players'
defensive acumen.


From its original measure of 20-feet away from the basket, the
three-point line has been shortened to 20-feet and patterned after FIBA.


The zone measurement has also been reduced from the PBA restricted area
of a rectangle that measures "16' x 18'-10" or 301.44 sq.ft to Fiba's
restricted area measuring 3.6 meters (12 feet) wide at the free throw
line and 6 meters wide (19 ft. and 8.25 inches) at the baseline or
298.54 sq.ft as per FIBA standards.


Defensive players meanwhile, will now be whistled for hand checking
this time if such contact is deemed by game officials as a tool to
impede the progress of the offensive players.


Goal interference and goal tending will also be a thing of the past.
Under the new guideline, offensive or defensive player may touch the
ball provided it touches the ring.


As for the penalty situation, the new rules will have the number of
team fouls committed in the fourth quarter being carried over to
overtime, the extra period now having been considered as an extension
of the fourth quarter as far as the number of team fouls and the team
fouls penalty rule are concerned.


During regulation, a team that commits two fouls under two minutes in
any quarter automatically gets into penalty situation, resulting to two
free throws for the offended player on the second foul regardless of
the number of team fouls.


The last rule on penalty situation was actually approved as early as
last year by the same competition committee, but was deferred for this
season to give all teams enough time to adjust.


The pre-season games will last for more than two weeks, kicking off
with the lone game between Purefoods and Barangay Ginebra today at the
San Sebastian College gym in Cavite.[/size][/size]