When the 2023-24 high school basketball season opens up this winter, there will be different situations at the free-throw line, altering some late-game scenarios for coaches and players. A new rule issued by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association will give offensive players a little bit more of an advantage at the charity stripe and lower the pressure situations of a close game.

At its most recent board meeting, the PIAA voted to adopt the National Federation of State High Schools Association’s (NFHS) rule change that teams will shoot two free-throws for common fouls when in the bonus. The change to Rule 4-8-1 eliminates the one-and-one foul shooting scenario. The bonus will now be set at five fouls in a quarter, instead of seven fouls in a half, and the team fouls will now be reset after each quarter, instead of carrying over.

According to a press release from Lindsey Atkinson, the NFHS Director of Sports and liaison to the Basketball Rules Committee, the rule change was implemented to help reduce higher injury rates on rebounding situations and the NHFS saw this as an opportunity to reduce opportunities for rough play during rebounds.

Atkinson also stated that the rule change will improve game flow and allow teams to adjust their play by not carrying foul totals to quarters two and four.

Like with anything else, the new rule was met with some positivity and some negativity as coaches try to grapple with the change and what it means for the sport. Northwestern Lehigh High School girls basketball head coach, Chris Deutsch, is on the side of the fence against it. He will miss the high pressure situations in late game the most.

“I do not like the new rule,” said Deutsch. “I believe shooting one-and-one is part of the game. There is more pressure on the player when there is one-and-one than shooting two shots.

“It was also recommended by NFHS to have a shot clock for every state too. But we are not doing that.”

Eliminating the one-and-one, which meant if the first shot was missed the clock would start, also means the game now may drag on a little bit longer.

“I think games will be longer now with more fouling going on,” Deutsch said. “I don’t think there will be as much flow to the game.”