In 1993, Michigan sophomore Chris Webber went up for a rebound in the final seconds of the NCAA title game, trailing North Carolina 73-71. Trapped by the Tar Heels in front of the Wolverines bench, he called a timeout he didn't have, leading to a technical foul and ultimately a 77-71 loss. The epic blunder showed the importance of knowing the rules and where you are at all times in a game that only permits six timeouts per game.
Court and Equipment
Two teams of five players including a captain for each team take to a court measuring 94 by 50 feet. The NCAA ball must be deeply pebbled and orange, red-orange or brown in color, with the NCAA specifying specific Pantone colors for its surface. The men's ball is 29 ½ to 30 inches in circumference, while the women's is 28 ½ to 29 inches. The ball needs to weigh 18 to 20 oz. for women and 20 to 22 oz. for men. The backboard has a shot clock mounted behind it, and the scorer's table displays a possession indicator.
Players and Uniforms
The home team or top-ranked team in a tournament wears a white or light jersey and game pants. Home teams always wear white in playoffs. Game jerseys need to be tucked into the game pants. Substitutes must report to the scorer and provide their uniform number. An injured or bleeding player can substitute immediately.
Scoring and Timing
A goal from the field counts two points, from beyond the 3-point line counts three points and from the free-throw line counts one point. The winning team accumulates the greater number of points by the final buzzer. Playing time consists of two 20-minute halves and a 15-minute halftime intermission, versus four 12-minute quarters as found in the NBA. The team in control must attempt a field goal within 35 seconds for men and 30 seconds for women, whereas in the NBA and WNBA, players have 24 seconds. College players have 10 seconds to bring the ball past the half-court line, while the pros have eight seconds. The 3-point line in college extends 20 feet, 9 inches from the center of the basket, unlike the NBA line, which lies 23 feet, 9 inches at its farthest point form the basket.
Foul and Penalties
A player cannot hold, charge, trip, push or impede an opponent or use unreasonably rough tactics or fighting. Violation of this rule leads to a called foul. Personal fouls count toward a maximum of five before the player is sent out of the game. Pro players foul out after six fouls.
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