After the World Championships, FIBA -- meaning the world -- adopted some NBA rules. For example, gone is the trapezoid key in international tournaments, replaced by the NBA rectangular key.
But now the NBA may be looking at some FIBA rules in return.
The D-League -- often a testing ground for NBA rule changes -- is taking on two key FIBA rules, according to Scott Schroeder of FanHouse.
The biggest is the goaltending rule. In international play, once a ball hits the rim it is live, you can go up and knock it off. A shot that bounces on the rim and is settling to fall in can be legally knocked off. (As opposed to current NBA rules, where there is an imaginary cylinder over the basket and any time that the ball is in that cylinder it cannot be touched.)
The other rule is a three-minute overtime, as opposed to the NBA’s five.
This leaves the D-League with different rules than the NBA -- guys who are called up will have to change their thinking. But there is nothing wrong with that. Part of the purpose of a minor league is to try things out in game situations, to see what it feels like and how it works.
The goaltending rule would take away some borderline, questionable calls that we see now. But would it really improve the game? Who knows? But it is best to find out in game competition in the D-League rather than toying with the NBA itself just to see.