The 2009 NCAA Men’s Tournament is in full swing and the Women’s Tournament has just started. When researching my previous article on allowable jersey numbers, I found some NCAA basketball rule differences between the men and women that I didn’t know existed. Some of the rule differences go directly to game play, e.g. the shot clock time, and some are more obscure like the color of headbands permitted. In today’s day and age of equality between the sexes, this is one place where the sexes are not treated equally:

The men have bigger and heavier balls; the women’s balls are “bouncier”[1]

Ball circumference

This was not meant to be a double entendre; this is true as stated under the NCAA Basketball Rules. The balls used in NCAA men’s basketball shall be between 29 ½ inches and 30 inches in circumference and the ball used in NCAA women’s ball shall be between 28 ½ inches and 29 inches in circumference.

The women get a break here of between ½ an inch and 1 ½ inches. But they also get a break in regard to the required weight of the ball.

Ball weight

The weight of the ball for the men has to be between 20 and 22 ounces, and for women between 18 ounces and 20 ounces.

Ball inflation or bounciness

Geez, the NCAA Basketball Rules even specify the inflation pressure required for the basketballs. The inflation required for official balls is different for the men and women players.

Proper inflation is measured from dropping the ball from a height of six feet, dropping it to the playing surface, and measuring the bounce from the floor to the top of the ball. Under these rules the women are permitted “bouncier” balls if you will. The women’s ball has to bounce at least 51 inches but not more than 56 inches whereas the men’s balls have to bounce at a minimum of 49 inches but not more than 54 inches.

In summary the women NCAA basketball player of course gets break with smaller, easier to handle, lighter, and “bouncier” balls than the men NCAA basketball player.

I suppose this is to compensate for men being the stronger sex, with bigger hands, and therefore being better able than women to propel a heavier and larger spheroid to the hoop?

However, as any guy knows, give a woman an inch or an ounce and they will take a foot. Read on!

The three point field goal distance is shorter for women[2]

One of the most easy to recognize differences between the men and women’s NCAA basketball rules is the distance of the three-point shot line from the basket.

According to the rules the distance for a three point field goal is measured from the center of the basket to the outside edge of the three point line on the court. The three point shot distance for women is 19’ 9” inches and for the men is 20’ feet 9” inches.

Yet, another break for the women.

Women are permitted to be more fashionable[3]

Here is one of the more obscure rules regarding permissible attire to be worn by the NCAA basketball player.

Players, both women and men, are permitted to wear headbands. The color of the headbands must be a solid color of either the color of their jersey, white, or black. However, in addition to these colors, women only may wear a beige headband. The same rule applies to wrist bands. Say what?

Does anyone feel that there might be a subtle implication here that men aren’t as fashion conscious as women; just give us men anything to wear and we will go out and play, we don’t care if the colors match. On the flip side of stereotypes is the thought of the women players in the locker room debating “Why are we wearing the jersey color headband when the beige goes better with my hair color?”

Women get more time at halftime in more circumstances[4]

The standard intermission time at halftime lasts 15 minutes for both men and women. However, an additional five minutes of time is added to this in certain games. For the men, an additional five minutes is allowed in NCAA Division 1 tournament games, yet for women this additional five minutes is allowed for NCAA Division 1 regional finals, national semifinals, AND championship games.

This is undoubtedly to compensate for the fact that women take longer to get ready and there must be extra pressure on them in these high profile games to look good? Maybe the additional time in these additional game types, is to allow them to decide what color headband they are going to wear in the second half? I honestly don’t know.

Women have a shorter time to get off a shot[5]

The shot clock rule is that men get 35 seconds to get off a shot, and the women get 30 seconds to get off a shot.

This rule flies in the face of the stereotypes previously reflected in the rules (at least in my tortured interpretation of them.) If men are the stronger, faster, and more dexterous why do women get a shorter shot clock, and have to get a shot off quicker?

Hmm…maybe my application of stereotypes to the NCAA Basketballs rules needs to be rethought?

Conclusion

Before any of you women get after me and start writing nasty comments, this was only a “tongue in cheek” way to explain some of the differences between men and women’s basketball under the NCAA Rules, You should also know that the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee, which enacted these rules, consists of 12 individuals, 9 of whom are women.[6]

So watch and enjoy both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament games and know why there are no guys wearing beige head or wrist bands.

Sparky Holden, 2009

Sources:

[1] NCAA BASKETBALL RULES 2009, Rule 1/Court & Equipment, Section 15, Articles 7, 8 & 9.

[2] Ibid. Rule 1/Court & Equipment, Section 7, Article 1.

[3] Ibid. Rule 3/Players, Substitutes & Player Equipment, Section 5, Articles 14 & 15.

[4] Ibid. Rule 5/Scoring & Timing Regulations, Section 6, Article 1.

[5] Ibid, Rule 9/Violations & Penalties, Section 11, Article 1.

[6] Ibid. pages, 9-11.