Im Still Ballin
07-25-2024, 10:03 PM
If I'm not mistaken, TV ratings and attendance were not great in the mid-to-late '70s. Hand-checking was outlawed in a bid to curtail violence prior to the 1978-79 NBA season. This led to one of the highest single-season increases in league-average offensive rating in NBA history:
1977-78: 100.9 ORtg
1978-79: 103.8 ORtg
1978-79: Clarification added to prohibit hand-checking through "rigid enforcement" of rule allowing a defensive player to retain contact with his opponent so long as he does not impede his opponent's progress.
“A defensive player is permitted to • retain contact with his opponent so long as he does not impede his progress. However, hand‐checking will be eliminated by rigid enforcement of this rule by all three officials. The illegal use of hands will not be permitted.”
There was initial backlash from the players:
The National Basketball Players Association says it will work toward the removal of the rule. Most of the players feel the rule is not working for them and is making the game dull for the fans.
Larry Fleisher, the general counsel of the players’ association, said:
“People want to see players work harder to get their 2 points. The thrill of seeing a guy take a 20‐foot jump shot, glide to the basket or stuff a ball is over. What the fan cries out for is hardnosed defense and team play. It's clear the ban on hand‐checking makes it more difficult and you have to go through a whole new learning process to play defense.”
Some players liked the change:
Abdul‐Jabbar agrees with the ban. The change has freed the 7‐foot‐2‐inch Abdul‐Jabbar to unleash his total offensive arsensal.
“For the first time in years,” said Abdul‐Jabbar “we're back to playing basketball. Last season Artis Gilmore would push me out of the way to post up. Now he's reluctant to do that, because they're calling fouls on the contact, which is the way it should be.
“Admittedly, it makes the game tougher for everybody. You have to play defense the way it should be played, instead of relying on pushing, shoving and elbowing. When a player does that now, he can expect to hear whistle and have a foul called on him.”
Jerry West, the Laker coach, echoes his star center's words.
“The ban on hand‐checking would have been great when I was .playing,” said West. “That's one thing I despised more than anything, was the ‐pushing and shoving. The ban has helped the finesse players. I was taught that to play defense, you had to learn to handcheck. But I never liked playing that way. I've always believed that the best way to play defense was to move your feet, not your hands.”
While others didn't:
Most players, feel the ban cramps their style.
Tom Henderson, the Washington Bullets’ backcourt man, has complained:
“They're ruining the game, calling all this hand‐checking. “We have been hand‐checking since we've been in the league and it isn't an easy habit to break.”
Bob Lanier, the Detroit Piston center, said: “I didn't hand‐check much anyway so it didn't make much difference to me on defense. But when you've got to play Kareem, Walton and Gilmore, you've got to rely on hands. How else are you going to stop them?”
M.L. Carr of the Pistons said that the ban benefits the offensive player and it shouldn't be that way. He added: “I don't think the fights were directly attributed to hand‐checking anyway. Mostly they are caused by frustration. A player is upset with himself and he swings out at the nearest guy because he's frustrated.”
Paul Silas, the Seattle SuperSonics’ forward and president of the players’ group, said, “ It is a non‐contact rule in a contact sport.”
The NBA also continually modified and made additions to the Illegal Defense rule during this period of time. Zone had been outlawed since January 11, 1947, but these expanded guidelines significantly clarified what constituted prohibited tactics on defense.
1978-79: Technical foul imposed on team instead of warning for first illegal defense and two technical fouls imposed for second and all subsequent violations. Illegal defense rules modified.
1981-82: Zone defense rules clarified substantially with new rules for Illegal Defensive Alignments.
a. Weak side defenders may come in the pro lane (16’), but not in the college lane (12’) for more than three seconds.
b. Defender on post player is allowed in defensive three-second area (A post player is any player adjacent to paint area).
c. Player without ball may not be double-teamed from weak side.
d. Offensive player above foul line and inside circle must be played by defender inside dotted line.
e. If offensive player is above the top of the circle, defender must come to a position above foul line.
f. Defender on cutter must follow the cutter, switch, or double-team the ball.
• After the first illegal defense violation, the clock is reset to 24 seconds. All subsequent violations result in one free throw and possession of the ball. If any violation occurs during the last 24 seconds of each quarter or overtime period, the offended team receives one free throw.
1983-84: If a shot is taken simultaneously with a whistle for an illegal defense, and is successful, the basket shall count and no penalty shall be imposed.
Other changes were made, like the removal of the "three-to-make-two" and "two-to-make-one" free-throw rules, as well as the addition of the clear-path foul. Along with some alterations to the positioning of throw-ins and jump-balls. But after 1985, aside from flagrant foul modifications to combat Detroit/New York goon ball, almost no major rule changes were made until the 1994-95 NBA season. That's when the three-point line was shortened and hand-checking from baseline to the opposite free-throw line was "banned" again.
It seemed the league had created the perfect product and the game exploded commercially off the backs of stars like Bird, Magic, and MJ. The '80s and early '90s seemed a golden period for the NBA with regard to its popularity, especially domestically in the US. Attendance was strong and TV ratings were sky high.
How much did these rule changes play a part in the success of the NBA? Primarily the removal of hand-checking and expansion of Illegal Defense?
1977-78: 100.9 ORtg
1978-79: 103.8 ORtg
1978-79: Clarification added to prohibit hand-checking through "rigid enforcement" of rule allowing a defensive player to retain contact with his opponent so long as he does not impede his opponent's progress.
“A defensive player is permitted to • retain contact with his opponent so long as he does not impede his progress. However, hand‐checking will be eliminated by rigid enforcement of this rule by all three officials. The illegal use of hands will not be permitted.”
There was initial backlash from the players:
The National Basketball Players Association says it will work toward the removal of the rule. Most of the players feel the rule is not working for them and is making the game dull for the fans.
Larry Fleisher, the general counsel of the players’ association, said:
“People want to see players work harder to get their 2 points. The thrill of seeing a guy take a 20‐foot jump shot, glide to the basket or stuff a ball is over. What the fan cries out for is hardnosed defense and team play. It's clear the ban on hand‐checking makes it more difficult and you have to go through a whole new learning process to play defense.”
Some players liked the change:
Abdul‐Jabbar agrees with the ban. The change has freed the 7‐foot‐2‐inch Abdul‐Jabbar to unleash his total offensive arsensal.
“For the first time in years,” said Abdul‐Jabbar “we're back to playing basketball. Last season Artis Gilmore would push me out of the way to post up. Now he's reluctant to do that, because they're calling fouls on the contact, which is the way it should be.
“Admittedly, it makes the game tougher for everybody. You have to play defense the way it should be played, instead of relying on pushing, shoving and elbowing. When a player does that now, he can expect to hear whistle and have a foul called on him.”
Jerry West, the Laker coach, echoes his star center's words.
“The ban on hand‐checking would have been great when I was .playing,” said West. “That's one thing I despised more than anything, was the ‐pushing and shoving. The ban has helped the finesse players. I was taught that to play defense, you had to learn to handcheck. But I never liked playing that way. I've always believed that the best way to play defense was to move your feet, not your hands.”
While others didn't:
Most players, feel the ban cramps their style.
Tom Henderson, the Washington Bullets’ backcourt man, has complained:
“They're ruining the game, calling all this hand‐checking. “We have been hand‐checking since we've been in the league and it isn't an easy habit to break.”
Bob Lanier, the Detroit Piston center, said: “I didn't hand‐check much anyway so it didn't make much difference to me on defense. But when you've got to play Kareem, Walton and Gilmore, you've got to rely on hands. How else are you going to stop them?”
M.L. Carr of the Pistons said that the ban benefits the offensive player and it shouldn't be that way. He added: “I don't think the fights were directly attributed to hand‐checking anyway. Mostly they are caused by frustration. A player is upset with himself and he swings out at the nearest guy because he's frustrated.”
Paul Silas, the Seattle SuperSonics’ forward and president of the players’ group, said, “ It is a non‐contact rule in a contact sport.”
The NBA also continually modified and made additions to the Illegal Defense rule during this period of time. Zone had been outlawed since January 11, 1947, but these expanded guidelines significantly clarified what constituted prohibited tactics on defense.
1978-79: Technical foul imposed on team instead of warning for first illegal defense and two technical fouls imposed for second and all subsequent violations. Illegal defense rules modified.
1981-82: Zone defense rules clarified substantially with new rules for Illegal Defensive Alignments.
a. Weak side defenders may come in the pro lane (16’), but not in the college lane (12’) for more than three seconds.
b. Defender on post player is allowed in defensive three-second area (A post player is any player adjacent to paint area).
c. Player without ball may not be double-teamed from weak side.
d. Offensive player above foul line and inside circle must be played by defender inside dotted line.
e. If offensive player is above the top of the circle, defender must come to a position above foul line.
f. Defender on cutter must follow the cutter, switch, or double-team the ball.
• After the first illegal defense violation, the clock is reset to 24 seconds. All subsequent violations result in one free throw and possession of the ball. If any violation occurs during the last 24 seconds of each quarter or overtime period, the offended team receives one free throw.
1983-84: If a shot is taken simultaneously with a whistle for an illegal defense, and is successful, the basket shall count and no penalty shall be imposed.
Other changes were made, like the removal of the "three-to-make-two" and "two-to-make-one" free-throw rules, as well as the addition of the clear-path foul. Along with some alterations to the positioning of throw-ins and jump-balls. But after 1985, aside from flagrant foul modifications to combat Detroit/New York goon ball, almost no major rule changes were made until the 1994-95 NBA season. That's when the three-point line was shortened and hand-checking from baseline to the opposite free-throw line was "banned" again.
It seemed the league had created the perfect product and the game exploded commercially off the backs of stars like Bird, Magic, and MJ. The '80s and early '90s seemed a golden period for the NBA with regard to its popularity, especially domestically in the US. Attendance was strong and TV ratings were sky high.
How much did these rule changes play a part in the success of the NBA? Primarily the removal of hand-checking and expansion of Illegal Defense?