Hoops

Soft fouls

It's not so much how many fouls are called its which ones. When looking at scoring

Or maybe 6 fouls...

FWIW, some stats on NBL fouls, points per game, free throw attempts per game, free throws made per gam over the last few seasons

Season/FPG/PPG/FTA/FTM
2012-13 37.8 152 37.4 26.9
2013-14 41.0 170 41.0 30.8
2014-15 38.4 165 41.7 30.1
2015-16 40.1 171 43.7 32.0
2016-17 42.6 169 43.4 32.4
2017-18 40.5 175 44.1 32.3 (40 games)

So, not a direct relationship between FPG and PPG. e.g., 2012-13 vs 2014-15 shows a 0.6 increase in fouls per game with a 13 pts per game increase in scoring while 2016-17 vs 2015-16 shows a 2.5 increase in fouls per game with a 2 points per game decrease in points per game.

Over this period, 3pt shooting rates have increased by about 5 shots per game and 3pt shooting percentages have increased by about 2.5%. These 3pt stats are to the 2016-17 and I haven't checked them for 2017-18. However, the Spatial Jam NBL stats page suggests they're similar this season to last.

On a personal front, I'm happier with the 170-175 PPG NBL we're seeing these days, even if it comes at a cost of an additional 5 fouls per game. It beats the games we used to see 5 years ago, when the league was failing.

For me, Perth vs Townsville 25-Jan-2013 was the case study of why the NBL was losing crowds and mainstream interest. 121 points from 127 shots in the whole game. Between them, the two teams missed 82 shots - nearly twice as many as they hit. The game was a wrestling match yet only 28 fouls were called. For those marvelling at Illawarra's 8 fouls in Cairns the other night, Perth had only 11 fouls called on them that night. As a spectacle and an advertisement to the casual NBL watcher it was terrible.

Yes, I'm happier with the product NBL is selling today.

They should go back to 48mins.

It became bump and grind when 40mins was introduced.

We need to be more like soccer. Allow very little contact but allow players to fake contact and throw themselves spectacularly to the ground. Have as many games decided by penalties as by regular scoring in play. Sounds like an awesome thing to aspire to.

You’ve just completely ignored the point.

Soccer is a non contact sport?

It has nothing to do with final score?

David Stern removed hand checking specifically to get more scoring in the game

Because it being a non-contact sport (ie soft “fouls” are called) the offense is free-flowing and exciting.

Basketball is currently evolving with the new interpretations but when teams and players adjust, the game improves. Its got nothing to do with free throws and the final score.

How have i shot down my whole argument with the soccer argument?

There is next to zero no scoring in soccer, yet it is easily the most watched sport on the whole planet.

They’re not looking for higher scoring, they are looking for a more free flowing and exciting offense. The idea being that if the refs call fouls for “minor” contact then the defenders dont hold and bump all game.

You have completely shot your own argument down with the soccer comparison.

Just thinking this the other day, I have noticed alot of ex-AFL players becoming a coach of an AFL club then eventually becoming a mentor. Just wondering why the ex-NBL players such as Maher, Gaze etc dont take up roles as coaches ???
They would have a great advantage, what do you all think ????