In a move designed to "reduce rough play in free throw situations" the National Federation of State High School Associations have implemented a rule change in basketball for the coming school year. The two marked lane spaces closest to the end line will now be vacant and all the players will move back one slot.

The basketball rules committee of the NFHS proposed the rule change at its April 13-15 meeting in Indianapolis. The changes were approved by the organization's board of directors.

The rules committee reviewed data from the Georgia High School Association, which experimented with the change this past season. The committee said the number of fouls during free throw rebounding was reduced and that defensive rebounding percentages still fell within an acceptable range.

While most WPIAL coaches do not see this move lessening the contact and physicality of the game, they do see it bringing the high school game closer to the college game and giving the defense more of an advantage on rebounding missed free throws.

Most summer leagues in Western Pennsylvania involving high school players are experimenting or have experimented with the rule change and so far coaches have not noticed much of a difference.

Members of the Quaker Valley boys' team probably wish the rule change was in effect this past season. Being so close to the rim after free throws, the Quakers struggled to haul in defensive rebounds and that cost them repeatedly in a 54-47 loss to North Catholic in the WPIAL Class AA playoffs.

"I can remember specifically they scored six points against us on those offensive rebounds," Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said.

"They were missing the foul shots and still scored. The kids in the summer have definitely been aware of the rule change. After the season last year we talked about some of the things that hurt us and that was definitely one of the keys we talked about."

In the Pittsburgh Basketball Club's summer league, Quaker Valley took advantage of the rule change and won the championship for Class AA-A schools at Ambridge.

Carrie Palermo, the girls' coach at Sto-Rox, expects the rebounds to almost entirely go to the defense now, although she is not ready to concede when her team is shooting free throws. She says she will work with her players on trying to utilize the extra room to spin in front of the defender.

Opinions vary among coaches on whether or not the rule change was necessary. Most were in agreement that the games will remain physical.

"There will be two less people there but there will still be a lot of contact and a lot of banging," Mastroianni said.

Peters Township coach Gary Goga agrees and hopes the games stay physical.

"I like when the kids play physical and I like my team to play like that," Goga said. "I am not a big fan of taking away the physicality of the game because when you try to take it out the officials feel the need to call the game closer, but the officials are good and they know how to call it. We won't know the effect until the real games start."

Jen Milne, girls' coach at Rochester, said basketball is a contact sport and believes it will remain that way regardless of the rule change.

"They say basketball is not a physical sport but I disagree," she said. "It's very much a physical sport and the kids are still going to be aggressive. The battling around might change a little bit. If it's not going to be physical after free throws, then it will be physical when posting up or going after rebounds."

East Allegheny boys' coach Ryan Encapera was an assistant coach in Florida when high school teams in that state experimented with the rule change. Based on his experience he does not see the rule change making any difference in taking contact away from the game.

Marc Rozanski, the second all-time leading scorer at Serra Catholic when he graduated in 2007 and son of longtime Serra coach Bob Rozanski, has experienced the rule change first hand. After graduating from Serra in 2007 he went on to play basketball at Seton Hill University where the rule was already in effect.

"It's a lot tougher for the offensive team now to get that rebound in the foul line situation," Marc Rozanski said.

"I think the game was still pretty physical, I personally didn't notice any less contact."

This is not the first time in recent history the high school game has seen a rule change regarding free throws. A few years ago the rules were changed so players could not enter the lane after a free throw attempt until the ball hit the rim. Before that, players could battle for position after the shooter released the ball.

"Having the players wait until the ball hits the rim, I don't know about that rule. I am not in favor of that," Encapera said.

"For this rule change [moving the players back a block], if they play like that in college then I think it's a good thing."

Like Encapera Shaler Area coach Howie Ruppert liked it when players were able to enter the lane once the shot left the players hand. He said the new rule will change what coaches will teach.

"I think people can coach spinning and all that now. You are going to have to be much more mobile and you won't do everything the same way every time, so it will open things up a little bit," Ruppert said. "I just think you are going to have to be very aware of what the other teams are doing and I think it is important when you go scout other teams."

Regardless of how far from the basket players are lined up most players and coaches said it will come down to the basic task of boxing out when it comes to rebounding missed free throws.

"I don't care if we are underneath the hoop or in the parking lot, we are going to box out hard and the team that does that will get the rebound," Goga said.