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College basketball courts could look very different when the 2011-12 NCAA season tips off in November. The NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Rules Committees recently recommended adding a restricted area arc three feet from the center of basket in which a secondary defender cannot legally take a charge while the women's three-point line will move back a foot to match the men's. The moves headline a list of possible changes at the college and high school level for next season.

The NBA has used its own version of the restricted area, with a four-foot radius, since the 1997-98 season. The college arc would take effect in the 2011-12 season in all three divisions if approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel. The group has a conference call scheduled for June 9.

"We have been very deliberate with our research and consideration of this rule," Notre Dame Head Men's Coach and Men's Committee Chair Mike Brey told NCAA.org. "We believe this is the natural progression from all the data and feedback we've received. A high percentage of coaches and administrators favored a visual mark on the floor. Our committee was unanimous in voting this into the game."

In 2009, the committee created an unmarked area directly under the basket where a secondary defender could not legally take a charge. But members hope this new arc will further limit the number of collisions near the basket and feel having a marked area will better define the space in which a secondary defender cannot legally take a charge.

In other NCAA news, both the men's and women's committees have changed the terms for more severe fouls. Intentional fouls will now be referred to as "Flagrant 1" and flagrant fouls will be called "Flagrant 2." The committed removed the term "intentional" because the player's intent is not the point of the rule.

Additionally, the committee recommends that coaches can request a monitor review of any Flagrant 2 calls. However, if the replay shows the coach is wrong, his or her team will be charged a timeout. If the team has no more timeouts, the team is assessed a technical foul for taking too many timeouts.

Specific to the women's game, the committee recommended moving the three-point line to 20 feet, nine inches for the 2011-12 season, equal to where the men's line has resided since 2008-09. Previously, the women's line was 19 feet, nine inches.

Last year, teams were asked to track the number of three-point attempts taken behind the men's and current women's lines during games. Nearly 200 schools responded (100 in Division I, 57 in Division II, and 34 in Division III) and data showed that most attempts were already coming from behind the 20-foot, nine-inch line. Teams finished 1,046 of 3,203 (33 percent) from behind the 20-foot, 9-inch line and were 546 for 1,823 (30 percent) between 19 feet, 9 inches and 20 feet, 9 inches.

"Change is always tough, but we think this will open up some things offensively in the women's game," Rice Senior Associate Athletics Director and committee chair Leslie Claybrook told NCAA.org. "The committee had great conversations prior to and during this meeting about the three-point line. We think this can be a game-changer for women's basketball and open up the inside play, as well."

The women's committee is also asking teams to experiment with a 10-second half-court rule in scrimmages and exhibition games next year. Currently, there is no time limit for players to get the ball across the mid-court line in NCAA women's basketball.

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In high school news, the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee approved a number of changes for the 2011-12 season, which were also approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. Among them was a change to penalties for fouls during throw-ins.

Definitions were changed to reflect that team control will now exist during a throw-in once the thrower-in has the ball at his or her disposal. The new rule will no longer grant free throws to a defending team in the bonus if the throw-in team commits a foul.

"The advantage was too great because the throw-in team would lose possession and yield free throws under the previous rule," Mary Struckhoff, NFHS Assistant Director and liaison to the Basketball Rules Committee said in a release. "It was inconsistent with how this same play was being administered during non-throw-in situations."

Some other highlights included editing Rule 1-3-1 to conform with current basketball court design. The rule will now permit center circle lines to be between one-quarter-inch and two inches wide.

The committee also added guidelines for compression sleeves, which may be white, black, beige, or a single solid school color. All sleeves must be the same color for each team member and any manufacturer's logos must not exceed 2.25 inches square.

Lastly, the committee once again discussed the addition of a shot clock for high school basketball, but the proposal was not approved.

"Even though there's growing interest in using a shot clock, the general sense from the committee is that the time isn't right," Struckhoff said in a statement. "Given the current economic climate, it would be difficult for schools to comply with a rule requiring purchasing new equipment and hiring additional table personnel."

Mike Phelps is an Assistant Editor at Athletic Management.