This fall, basketball curmudgeons purists could have a whole new reason to complain about the modern NBA.
As 3-point attempts have steadily risen over the past decade (from an average of 22.4 per game in 2014-15 to a record 37.6 last season), so too have fouls on 3-point shots — arguably the most groan-inducing play on a basketball court. The fouls are horrible for defenses because they lead to three free throws, the highest points-per-possession play in basketball.
This fact has also led to shooters consistently making their best attempts to grift referees into calling fouls by contorting their bodies like a circus performer while grunting and hollering as if they’ve just been clubbed in the ribs by a two-by-four. It’s generally not a pleasant experience and often leads to significant disgust from fans and players alike.
Well, get ready for a whole lot more of that.
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Brad Botkin
One of the points of emphasis for officials entering the 2025-26 season will be the cleverly named “high five” closeouts, which occur when a defender hits the hand, wrist and/or arm of a shooter during his follow-through. As long as the contact occurs after the ball is released, these are supposed to be deemed incidental, with no foul being called. However, according to NBA Senior Vice President of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutchen, there will be a slight tweak to the way things are officiated this season.
The change regards what McCutchen calls “secondary contact,” where a defender doesn’t just incidentally touch the shooter’s hand, but instead makes a…
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