Does women's college basketball need the 10 second rule?

(The "big guy" (pictured here) is in favor of it. Sonja is not. Today, we get the opinion on the lack of a ten second rule to get the ball over the timelime from a former high school and assistant college women's basketball coach. We have respectfully kept her comments anonymous per her request...as she is looking to be hired soon and doesn't want her comments to possibly go against any type of hiring decision.

The lack of a ten second rule to advance the basketball past center court makes no sense anymore and needs to be changed. Along with it, the NCAA women's rules committee needs to increase the shot clock to 35 seconds like the men's teams have.

There was a time when the women's college basketball game had a jump ball after each made basket. Imagine that today. There were also players who could not go past the half court line since they were designated either offense or defense roles. That rule was changed also. It is now time to get rid of another antiquated rule and this rule is the lack of a ten second clock to advance the ball past half court by the team in possession of the ball.

With the advent of the increased progressional skills of today's college women's basketball player, the ten second rule no longer makes any sense. For years now, women point guards have developed the necessary skills to dribble, cut, switch directions and pass the basketball. The days of frantically holding the ball and waiting for someone to pass it to are gone. The whole point of a full court press by by the defense is seriously undermined also, because the most you can hope for if you are pressing is a turnover. Good defense on the inbounds possession should be rewarded if you are able to prevent your opponent from advancing over the half court line in 10 seconds.

There are certain things that women basketball players don't do as well as their male counterparts. Dunking is one, obviously. Offensive or defensive goal tending isn't a call made very often in the women's game. Dribbling and handling the basketball, though is no longer a skill that women basketball players lack.

How many times have you seen a team dawdle getting the ball over the half court line late in a game and then find themselves faced with only 10 or less seconds to get ther offense in motion? If this team is winning, it does serve as a clock killer but it is also a penalty to the team trying to catch up.

Time to change this antiquated rule and allow good defensive pressure to reap another reward for a team. We teach our young players that guarding an opponent is just as important as being a scorer. An installment ofthe ten second rule would only enforce that philosophy and help teams improve on their transistion games.

There is a popular comic who uses the gag line 'Git 'er done'. It's time for the NCAA rules committee in women's college basketball to follow this comic's advice.