The NCAA announced a few rules changes for college basketball that Eastern head coaches Mike Miller and Brady Sallee think will clean up the game.

In women’s basketball, the three-point line will be moved back one foot to match the men’s three point line of 20-feet, 9-inches.

Sallee, head coach of the Eastern women’s basketball team, said he was pleased by the change.

“I’m glad it’s changing. I thought when the NCAA set the current three point line for men’s basketball, we should’ve followed suit,” Sallee said.

“It’s going to clean the game up, because players won’t have to worry if they’re behind the right three-point line. Now there’s just one arc, and I think it will take some of the confusion out of it,” Sallee said. “Plus, the statistics show that women will shoot the ball just as well as the men from that distance.”

The other rules the NCAA approved will make college basketball more like the professional game.

Starting next season, there will be a three-foot arc around the basket, inside which, a defender cannot take a charge within.

The NBA already has this rule. The only difference is that the NBA arc is four feet from the basket.

Both coaches like the new rule.

“I think it’s going to be a good thing for everybody over time,” said Mike Miller, men’s head basketball coach. “I think it’s more clear-cut for everybody. From a defensive standpoint, it’s going to clean the game up. There are too many guys hanging around the basket, taking charges.”

Sallee was also in favor of the rule. “The three-foot arc will force teams to play good defense, and it will help avoid injuries,” Sallee said. “I know a lot of coaches that have already been putting that arc on the court in practice, to teach their teams to play better defense.”

The NCAA will also experiment with adding a 10 second back court rule to women’s basketball.

The rule states a team will have 10 seconds to advance the ball past half court.

The 10-second rule has already been a part of NCAA men’s basketball, and the rule will be tested out in women’s exhibition games.

Sallee is not sold on the new rule yet.

“I’m not as big a proponent of that rule, because I think that having a 30-second shot clock is enough,” Sallee said. “If the 10-second rule is introduced, I think it will benefit teams that press a lot. I think the rule will force more teams to incorporate presses into their defense.”

The NCAA is also changing the terminology of fouls to match the NBA. Intentional fouls will now be called Flagrant 1 and Flagrant 2 fouls, like the NBA has already done.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel announced that they approved the changes after listening to suggestions from the men’s and women’s basketball rules committees earlier this month.

Joe Long can be reached at 581-7942 or densportsdesk@gmail.com.