Changing the Rules

With the birth of the Women's National Basketball Association came many decisions - naming the teams, designing logos and uniforms, hiring players and coaches. And while it may not be the first thing some people think about, many of the decisions involved the game, itself.

Basketball is played on many levels, from playgrounds and schoolyards to the NCAA and the Olympics, and there are modifications of the rules along the way. As women's basketball is brought to yet another level by a new professional league, the rules had to be examined once again to make any necessary adjustments needed to put the most exciting product on each WNBA court.

� "We want to keep the women's professional game as exciting as possible." --�Kelly Krauskopf

"We're rewriting the rulebook," said Kelly Krauskopf, the WNBA's Director of Basketball Operations (at the time).

It's Krauskopf's responsibility to oversee all of the league's basketball operations, from scheduling and officiating the games to game conduct, discipline and medical policies. It was also her job to create the Official Rules of the WNBA, blending the best elements from amateur competition and professional games into what would work best for the fledging WNBA.

Some of the key elements of the WNBA game include two 20-minute halves, a 19-9 three-point line, 12-foot lanes, a smaller ball and a 30-second shot clock.

"We want to keep the women's professional game as exciting as possible," said Krauskopf, who played basketball in college at Texas A&M and is a former assistant commissioner of the Southwest Conference.

"You'll see a level above what you're used to seeing at the college level," said L.A. Sparks star Lisa Leslie. "We're more aggressive, stronger and faster. The basketball skills are on a totally different level."

So whether you're already a fan or just becoming one, get ready for an exciting new brand of women's professional basketball -- WNBA style.

The following chart details the basic differences in rules between the NBA and women's NCAA and which rule will be used in the WNBA.

RULE	NCAA	NBA	WNBA
3 Point Line	19'9"	22'	NCAA
Lane Size	12' wide	16' wide	NCAA
Basketball Size	28.5" in.	around channels 29 1/2" to 29 3/4" across channels 29 5/8" to 29 7/8"	NCAA
Active Roster	10	12	NCAA
Duration of Game	two 20-minute halves	four 12-minute quarters	NCAA
Halftime	15 minutes	15 minutes	NCAA/NBA
Overtime	5 minutes	5 minutes	NCAA/NBA
Shot Clock	30 seconds	24 seconds	NCAA
Illegal Defense	no	yes	NCAA