The Australian NBL is considering a series of experimental rule changes designed to increase scoring opportunities and attract new audiences, including a proposed three-point dunk and four points for shots made from the halfcourt logo.
According to the Melbourne Herald Sun, NBL officials had planned to introduce some of the concepts during this week’s preseason Blitz in Bendigo, but the league did not have enough time to secure approval from FIBA. Basketball Australia initially endorsed the proposed changes before determining that any alterations to the rules require approval from basketball’s global governing body.
The three-point dunk would represent one of the most radical proposed changes. The concept would assign three points to a successful dunk rather than the traditional two, while another proposal would award four points for a made shot from the halfcourt logo.
The NBL is also considering player-only timeouts, a concept already used in New Zealand basketball. Under the proposed format, a player in possession could call a 30-second timeout that would be limited to teammates on the court, with coaches and bench players excluded and no substitutions permitted.
