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.

Salisbury High School boys head coach Jason Weaver is not a fan of the new rule because of how much it can turn the tide on a game for a team losing late and makes it easier to come back. He would like for the game to stay put the way it is.

“I like the idea of one-and-one’s,” said Weaver. “It puts some pressure on the shooter and allows a team trailing to get back into the game, so because of that I am not in favor of the new rule change. I also do not like resetting the fouls at the end of each quarter. I would love to see the rules stay where they were.”

Weaver is in a wait-and-see mode when it comes to how this new rule will actually affect the game.

“I am not sure how much it will change the game. I will have to wait and see,” Weaver said. “However, the one-and-one is a great feature of the game as it puts pressure on a team without time coming off the clock, so I feel that it could change the game especially in end-of-game close situations.”