The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
NCAA approves four-quarter format for women’s basketball
06.08.2015 | Women's Basketball
NCAA women’s basketball will be played in four 10-minute quarters beginning this season.
Karen Aston statement on moving to four quarters
"It was a consensus for the coaches to move in this direction to help grow the game by speeding it up and making it more entertaining for the fans. By looking at every level of basketball, it makes sense because this is the format that is used on all levels -- high school, professional and international. To keep a consistency with the game will help. It also becomes more entertaining because it gives fans more strategic situations and reasons to hang on to their seats at the end of each quarter."
INDIANAPOLIS (NCAA.org) -- The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved moving the game to the new format and away from the 20-minute halves the sport has always used in NCAA competition on a conference call today.
The NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee, which initially recommended the rule change, believes the four-quarter format will enhance the flow of the game. The change also was endorsed by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors.
Teams will now reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. Previously, teams reached a one-and-one bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and reached the double bonus (two shots) on the 10th team foul.
In the four-quarter format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus during any additional overtime periods.
Read about the all women's basketball rule changes, including advancing the ball after a timeout late in the game, on NCAA.org.