College basketball

Table columns:
Season
Rule Change

Table rows:
cells: 1891–92
The first set of women's rules is created.
cells: 1900–01
A dribbler may not shoot for a field goal and may dribble only once, and then with two hands.
cells: 1908–09
A dribbler is permitted to shoot. The dribble is defined as the "continuous passage of the ball," making the double dribble illegal. Players are disqualified upon committing their fourth personal foul (women).
cells: 1910–11
Players are disqualified upon committing their fourth personal foul (men). No coaching is allowed during the progress of the game by anybody connected with either team. A warning is given for the first violation and a free throw is awarded after that.
cells: 1917–18
Players are disqualified upon committing their fifth personal foul (women only).
cells: 1920–21
The basket is moved to two feet from the baseline. Previously the players could climb the padded wall to get closer to the basket (with the new rule the wall is out of bounds). A player can re-enter a game once. Before this rule, if a player left the game, he could not re-enter for the rest of the game.
cells: 1921–22
Running with the ball was changed from a foul to a violation.
cells: 1923–24
The player fouled must shoot his own free throws. Before this rule, one person usually shot all the free throws for a team.
cells: 1928–29
The charging foul by the dribbler is introduced.
cells: 1930–31
A held ball may be called when a closely guarded player is withholding the ball from play for 5 seconds.
cells: 1932–33
The 10-second (mid-court) line is introduced to reduce stalling (men only). No player with the ball may stand in the free throw lane for more than 3 seconds.
cells: 1933–34
A player may re-enter a game twice.
cells: 1935–36
No offensive player (with or without the ball) may stand in the free throw lane for more than 3 seconds.
cells: 1937–38
The center jump after every made basket is eliminated.
cells: 1938–39
The ball will be thrown in from out of bounds at mid-court by the team shooting a free throw after a technical foul. Previously, the ball was put into play by a center jump after the technical free throw.
cells: 1939–40
Teams have the option of taking a free throw or taking the ball at midcourt.
cells: 1942–43
Any player who has yet to foul out, will be allowed to receive a fifth foul in overtime.
cells: 1944–45
Defensive goaltending is banned. Five personal fouls disqualifies a player; no extra foul is permitted in overtime (men). Unlimited substitution is allowed. Offensive players cannot stand in the free throw lane for more than 3 seconds.
cells: 1948–49
Coaches are allowed to speak to players during a timeout.
cells: 1951–52
Games are to be played in four 10-minute quarters. Previously it was two 20-minute halves.
cells: 1952–53
Teams can no longer waive free throws and take the ball at midcourt.
cells: 1954–55
The one-and-one free throw is introduced allowing a player to take a second free throw if the first one is made. Games return to two 20-minute halves.
cells: 1955–56
The two-shot penalty in existence for the last 3 minutes of each half is eliminated; the one-and-one free throw exists for the whole game.
cells: 1956–57
The free-throw lane is increased from 6 feet to 12 feet in width. On the lineup for a free throw, the two spaces adjacent to the end line must be occupied by opponents of the shooter. In the past, one space was marked 'H' for the home team, and one 'V' for the visitors. Grasping the rim is ruled unsportsmanlike conduct.
cells: 1957–58
Offensive goaltending is now banned. One free throw for each common foul for the first six personal fouls in a half, and the one-and-one is used thereafter.
cells: 1967–68
The dunk is made illegal during the game and during warmups.
cells: 1969–70
Women's basketball introduces the five-player full-court game on an experimental basis.
cells: 1971–72
The five-player full-court game becomes mandatory for women's basketball. The 30-second shot clock is introduced (women only).
cells: 1972–73
The free throw on the common foul for the first six personal fouls in a half is eliminated. An official can charge a technical foul on a player for unsportsmanlike conduct if the official deems the player 'flopped' to get a charging call. Freshmen are now eligible to play varsity basketball.
cells: 1973–74
Officials can now penalize players away from the ball for fouls for acts such as holding, grabbing and illegal screens.
cells: 1976–77
The dunk is made legal again.
cells: 1981–82
The jump ball is eliminated except for the start of the first and second half, and overtime if necessary. An alternating arrow will indicate possession of the ball in jump-ball situations in a game (men only).
cells: 1982–83
When a closely guarded player is guarded for 5 seconds, a jump ball is no longer required. Instead a turnover is created and the ball goes to the other team.
cells: 1983–84
Two free throws are issued if a foul occurs in the last two minutes of a half or in overtime (men only). This rule was rescinded a month into the season, before the start of conference play.
cells: 1984–85
A new, smaller ball ("size 6"; 28.5 inches circumference, 18 ounces) is introduced for women's play.
cells: 1985–86
The 45-second shot clock is introduced for men's play. If a shooter is intentionally fouled and the basket is missed, the shooter will get two free throws and the team will get possession of the ball.
cells: 1986–87
A three-point shot was introduced, with the line a uniform 19′ 9″ from the center of the basket. Mandatory for men's basketball; experimental for women's. The men's alternating possession rule is extended to the women's game.
cells: 1987–88
The men's three-point line was made mandatory for women's basketball. Each intentional personal foul gives the non-fouling team two free throws and possession of the ball (men only). The NCAA adopts a single rule book for men's and women's basketball for the first time, although some rules differ between the sexes to this day.
cells: 1988–89
The men's rule regarding intentional fouls is extended to the women's game.
cells: 1990–91
Beginning with a team's 10th foul in a half, two free throws (the so-called "double bonus") are to be awarded for each non-shooting personal foul on the defense, and each loose-ball foul (men only). Three free throws are awarded when a shooter is fouled from three-point range and misses the shot (both men and women).
cells: 1993–94
The men's shot clock is reduced from 45 seconds to 35 seconds. The game clock will be stopped with successful baskets in the last minute of each half and in the last minute of overtime, with no substitution permitted.The 5-second rule regarding closely guarded players is eliminated.
cells: 1994–95
Scoring is restricted to a tap-in when 0.3 seconds or less remains on the game clock (men and women).
cells: 1997–98
The 5-second rule regarding closely guarded players is reinstated. Timeouts can be made be players on the court or the head coach. The "double bonus" introduced to the men's game in 1990 is extended to the women's game.
cells: 1998–99
In a held ball situation initiated by the defense, the defense shall gain possession of the ball regardless of the possession arrow.
cells: 1999–2000
The held ball rule from 1998–99 was rescinded. Maximum of five players occupying lane spaces during free throws in women's play (two from the shooting team, three from the defending team).
cells: 2000–01
In women's play only, if the defending team commits a foul during a throw-in after a made basket or free throw, the team putting the ball in play retains the right to run the end line during the subsequent throw-in.
cells: 2001–02
In women's play, six players now allowed in lane spaces (four defenders, two offensive players). Additionally, the defensive players nearest the basket are now required to line up in the second space from the basket.
cells: 2005–06
Kicked balls will no longer reset the shot clock. If the violation occurs with less than 15 seconds, the clock will be reset to 15 seconds.
cells: 2006–07
A timeout called by an airborne player falling out of bounds will not be recognized.
cells: 2007–08
The women's rule regarding lane alignment during free throws (maximum of four defenders and two offensive players, with the nearest defenders on the second space from the basket) is extended to the men's game.
cells: 2008–09
Three-point arc extended to 20′ 9″ from the center of the basket for men's play only. Referees may use instant replay to determine if a flagrant foul has been committed and who started the incident. When the entire ball is over the level of the basket during a shot and touches the backboard, it is a goaltending violation if the ball is subsequently touched, even if still moving upward.
cells: 2011–12
Women's three-point arc extended to match men's arc. Restricted area arc created 3 feet from the center of the basket (men and women). When an offensive player makes contact with a defender who establishes position within this area, the resulting foul is blocking on the defender.
cells: 2013–14
10-second backcourt rule introduced (women only). Any timeout called within the 30 seconds preceding a scheduled media timeout break replaces the media timeout (women only).
cells: 2015–16
The men's shot clock changed to 30 seconds, making it identical to the women's shot clock. Coaches prohibited from calling timeouts from the bench in live-ball situations; players remain free to do so. Restricted area arc extended from 3 feet to 4 feet from the center of the basket (men only). Dunks are permitted during warm-ups. Number of timeouts for each team reduced from 5 to 4. Women's basketball changed from 20-minute halves to 10-minute quarters. In women's basketball, bonus free throws come into effect on the fifth team foul in a quarter; all bonus free throw situations result in two free throws. The women's rule regarding timeouts within 30 seconds of a scheduled media timeout was extended to the men's game.
cells: 2016–17
Coaches allowed to call timeouts from the bench during inbounds plays before the pass is released.
cells: 2017–18
Men only: The shot clock will be reset to 20 seconds, or the amount remaining on the shot clock if greater, when the ball is inbounded in the frontcourt after (1) a defensive foul or (2) a deliberate kick or fisting of the ball by the defense. Men only: If an injured player is unable to shoot free throws as the result of a flagrant foul, or if the player is bleeding, only his substitute can shoot the ensuing free throws. Men only: When the ball is legally touched inbounds and an official immediately signals a clock stoppage, a minimum of 0.3 seconds must elapse on the game clock. Men only: A player dunking the ball may hold onto the rim to prevent injury to himself or another player, even if it would result in another violation. Women only: No new 10-second backcourt count awarded if the team in possession is granted and charged a timeout. Women's basketball adopted the men's 4-foot restricted area arc. Women only: Abandoned the "flagrant-1" and "flagrant-2" foul designations in favor of the FIBA standard of "unsportsmanlike" and "disqualifying" fouls. The new "unsportsmanlike" designation now includes contact dead-ball technicals.

Questions about this table:
originalText: when did college basketball change from quarters to halves
answer: answerTexts: 1954–55