Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 4, 1990                   TAG: 9004040859
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BILL BRILL EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: DENVER                                 LENGTH: Medium

NCAA CHANGES RULES TO SHORTEN END OF GAMES

Ed Steitz, longtime chairman of the NCAA rules committee, announced Tuesday that, starting with the 10th foul of each half, each foul will result in two shots instead of a one-and-one.

Steitz said the committee hoped the more severe two-shot penalty would reduce some of the fouling in the final two minutes. He conceded that, while officials could penalize teams by calling intentional fouls, they rarely do.

As a result, it took 18 minutes, 35 seconds to play the last two minutes of regulation in the Georgia Tech-Michigan State game March 24.

Timeouts in televised games were reduced from four to three, a move Steitz called conservative. "We wanted to look at this gradually," he said. "Later, we may want the international rule, two timeouts per half with no carryover."

With eight TV stoppages per game, coaches usually horde their timeouts, saving them to halt play in the final minutes.

Penalties will be more severe for players and coaches who get involved in fights or who taunt or curse opponents.

A first fight will mean an automatic suspension, and a second will result in a suspension for the season. In the past, it took a second fight for the one-game suspension to be imposed and a third to bring a suspension for the season.

And, if Oklahoma's Skeeter Henry - or anybody else - fires those imaginary six-shooters next season, it will cost him a technical foul. Two technicals against a player will result in ejection. A head coach will be ejected if three technicals are called on the bench, regardless of who gets them.

Steitz said the purpose of the changes was to cut down on trash talk and taunting, which virtually had become a part of the game plan of certain teams.

"We have a great game," he said. "We don't want it ruined by the unnecessary actions of a few players or coaches."

Other action by the committee:

Left the 3-point line at 19 feet, 9 inches, although leagues have the go-ahead to experiment with the international distance of 20-6.

Awarded three free throws for a foul on an unsuccessful 3-point shot.

Authorized the use of the NBA basketball, which has deeper and wider channels, in an effort to improve ballhandling and shooting.

Permited leagues to experiment with a "no foul-out" concept, with three shots to make two on the sixth and all subsequent fouls on a player. Steitz said the six-foul rule used by the Colonial, Big East and Southeastern conferences this season was out after receiving only 21 percent support.

The committee also rejected the use of instant replay for controversial endings such as the Georgia Tech-Michigan State game. That change had been sought by the coaches' board.