NBA proposes new penalties on take fouls and bench decorum for upcoming season

The league may potentially remove one of the more controversial basketball plays next season.

The reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors will attempt to defend their title next season and may be able to do so with the help of several new rule changes. The two changes that the league is looking into are the transition take foul and the enforcement of proper bench decorum according to an article by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

A take foul occurs during a fast break opportunity where the offense has a clear advantage over the defense. Instead of giving up the easy points, the defender will simply foul the ball handler, forcing the offense to take the ball out of bounds. Here is an example from the NBA G League:

NBA fans have passionately pleaded that the league remove the take foul for quite some time now. Many recognize the problem with it as it effectively kills any momentum for one of basketball’s most exciting plays at the low cost of a personal foul. However, with the new rule changes, a foul taken under these circumstances will now result in a one-shot free throw and possession of the ball for the offense.

In addition to changing the take foul, Haynes reports that the league will enforce “proper bench decorum” through harsher punishment for violating the rules. Throughout the season, the league had several issues with players on the bench attempting to impact the game on the court. The most relevant case of this to Warriors’ fans was a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the Western Conference Finals. Golden State point guard Stephen Curry passed the ball to a player on Dallas’ bench who was standing on the court while conveniently wearing the same color as the Warriors’ white jerseys.

As a result, the Mavericks were fined $100,000 by the league for “continuing to violate league rules regarding bench decorum”. Although energy and excitement is always welcomed from the team bench, there is a limit when it deliberately effects the players on the court.

As the new season gradually approaches, look for the league to finalize these changes in hopes of improving the product on the floor.