D-League Announces Rule Changes for 2014-15 Season

The NBA Development League today announced that it will implement new rules for the 2014-15 season, including an innovative coach’s challenge and an “advance” rule. Additionally, the league will increase the team foul penalty limit and extend a rule deterring teams from deliberately fouling an offensive player away from the offensive action.

The coach’s challenge enables NBA D-League coaches to initiate instant replay review of referee calls of personal or shooting fouls, including offensive fouls, as well as those plays that have been identified as triggers for instant replay. Violations such as traveling and palming may not be challenged, nor can continuations or act-of-shooting determinations.

To initiate a challenge, a coach must call a timeout and immediately signal to the referees that a play is being challenged. The referees will then review the event in question and determine whether to uphold or change the original call. The challenging team will retain its timeout if the challenge is successful and will lose its timeout if it is unsuccessful. Teams will be granted one challenge during regulation and another challenge in each overtime period. An additional challenge in regulation will be granted if the first challenge is successful.

Additional rules changes for the 2014-15 NBA D-League season are below.

“Advance” Rule:

• Allows the team with possession to stop play, substitute and advance the ball to the 28-foot mark in the frontcourt without using a timeout.

• Each team will be granted one “advance” that can be used only in the last two minutes of the fourth period and one to be used in the last two minutes of each overtime period.

Away-From-The-Play Foul Rule:

• An away-from-the-play foul is defined as any illegal contact by the defense which occurs either deliberately away from the immediate area of offensive action, prior to the ball being released on a throw-in, or both.

• If an away-from-the-play foul is committed at any point in the game, personal and team fouls will be assessed and one free throw attempt will be awarded to any player in the game at the time the personal foul was committed.

Team Penalty Foul Limit Increase:

• Team foul limits will be increased from four per period to five per period before free throws are rewarded.

The 2014-15 NBA D-League season tips off Nov. 14 with an all-time high 18 teams playing for the NBA D-League Championship.