Fouled Out: Overtime Calls For Foul Rule Change

Jan. 5, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

We watch basketball for a variety of reasons. We tune in to see our favorite teams play, watch our favorite players or just sometimes because a friend is watching and it’s already on. It is fun to watch a great match-up of teams like the Warriors versus Thunder or the the Spurs versus the Cavaliers. The reason we love these match-ups and why we find them so intriguing is because of the star power involved.

Let’s take the Warriors versus the Thunder for instance; we get to watch Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green go head to head against Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Surge Ibaka.
If it’s the Spurs versus the Cavaliers we get to see Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge go up against Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. Both match-ups have tons of star power.

Now stop for a second and think about hyped up we get for these type of games? We set plans with our friends to watch the game, we tweet before, during and after to hype up and discuss and the games get put on T.V. during prime time so the world can witness these great match-ups. Without these star players there would be no appeal, we just wouldn’t have interest in these games.

I love watching basketball and especially love overtime games. It’s so entertaining to watch teams battle into games longer than they anticipated but it’s not as entertaining when a huge star fouls out. During a 48 minute, four quarter game a player fouls out after committing 6 fouls. I get to watch Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry attack each other and defend each other for 48 minutes and then 30 seconds into overtime one of them fouls out. Now we have to watch a great match-up disappear right in front of us. The star power is halfway depleted and now a backup comes in when the game matters most. The foul out rule is a great rule to make sure players don’t just commit fouls over and over. It’s a fair and understandable rule but there is a flaw.

What is the concept when the game goes into overtime? Additional time is added in which a team has to try and win a game because they were so evenly matched. Essentially a player may commit a foul but still foul out once 6 fouls are committed. I think this is a bit outdated and that if a game goes into overtime the foul limit should be raised to 7. If players have to play more minutes they should be allowed to commit more fouls, it only makes sense.

I have seen many games over the years in which a game goes into overtime and a player fouls out in that overtime period. The fans and the game is being cheated if a great player fouls out in overtime because they have to play addition minutes but don’t get the additional benefit of extra fouls. The game needs to evolve because, if for four quarters, two star studded teams put on a show and go into overtime, that extra period is going to be more dull and the outcome is partially deceiving. I want to be entertained for all four quarters and into overtime if a game requires overtime to determine the outcome. The game will be more exciting if an extra foul limit is added when games go into overtime, so please Commissioner Silver, team owners and the competition committee read this and make a change for the evolution of basketball!