Hey there Partner,
Not "Partner" the cowboy or the married way...We have an interesting relationship don’t we. We get assigned these games with sometimes some of our closest friends, sometimes our not so close friends, and sometimes straight goofy people (i.e. me). What do we all share…the love of this game. Some of ya’ll do this for the money, but if that were the case, you wouldn’t have read this far.
Most importantly, I hope you already registered for the NCOA North this season. If so, you were one of the lucky ones to get not only the online access to the 2025-2026 NFHS Rules Book but the coveted physical copy that our NCOA Basketball Leadership has made available to us. By the way, that same leadership has been trekking around to the various league meetings in our section and giving presentations on the new rules to coaches and league administrators. So again, a big “thank you” to our NCOA North leadership for laying the groundwork for the conversations we are about to have.
Back to you Partner. We are about to get out there on the court for the first time this season. Whether it be a scrimmage, a Foundation game, or a non-league match up, we are about to put some air through these Fox 40’s. It'll be just like last season...well not exactly, and that's what we're here to discuss.
Often our coaching colleagues are not privy to the rule changes and edits or the points of emphasis (POEs) that the NFHS Rules Committee has bestowed upon this season. Some important highlights for coaches are going to need to be covered in a relatively short period of time. In a recent NCOA training Zoom call we heard from several DI officials about keeping our contact with coaches, brief, honest and giving equal to both teams. So perhaps we want to get our coaches together for our “new rules” spiel. Here is a brief overview of some important topics to cover with the coaches:
Rule Changes 2025-2026
1) When the ball hits the backboard on a try or tap (i.e. a “shot,” “lay-up,” or "tip-in"), the defense can’t hit the ball like they used to be able to in high school, as now that is considered goal tending. New Rule 4-22-3.
2) Now we start resumption of play after fouls and violations in the front and the backcourt at the four spots (28 ft. lines and lane lines extended). We use the entirety of the three-point line to determine which of the two we use. Inside the three-point line will go to the nearest spot on the endline and above the three-point line will go to the nearest 28 ft. line. Rule 7-5-4.
3) If a defensive player hits the backboard, resulting in movement of the rim, and an offensive player’s try is missed we no longer call a technical foul but basket interference if the ball is on or in the cylinder. Rule 4-6-1a; 4-6-1b.
4) Sadly, we still have 5-second closely guarded counts on the boy’s side.
What are some ways you intend on addressing the new rules/POE's with coaches? Please share here if you have time. We can all learn from each other's best practices. Adapt the above talking points and add to them from the 2025-2026 NFHS Rule Book as you see fit. While you don’t have to talk to the coaches in depth about all the rule changes, you should familiarize yourself with the editorial changes and points of emphasis for officials in the 2025-2026 NFHS Basketball Rulebook. A good idea is to make them prominent in our pregames with our partners to make sure they are fresh in our minds.
If you can’t tell, I’m excited for this season and I hope I get to ref with you. As always, send us your plays/questions and we’ll use the rulebook to support you. I hope to see you out there this season.
Your Partner,
James Frazee
