If approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, the four-quarter format will bring other changes to the game:• Teams would reach the bonus to shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. In the current format, teams reach a one-and-one bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and reach the double bonus (two shots) on the 10th team foul.
• In the proposed four-quarter format, team fouls would be reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus in any additional overtime periods.
• Media timeouts in televised games would also be changed to one in each quarter. Media timeouts would occur at the first dead ball under the five-minute mark of each quarter and at the end of the first and third quarters. However, if a team calls timeout before the five-minute mark, that would be treated as the media timeout.
Media timeouts now occur at the first dead ball under the 16-, 12-, eight- and four-minute marks. So, going to quarters means two fewer stops in play.
In the proposed format, teams would have four timeouts (three 30-second timeouts and one 60-second timeout). A team may use the 60-second timeout at the discretion of the coach during the first or second half of the game. Teams would be allowed to carry over only two of those timeouts into the second half. Each team would be awarded one 30-second timeout in each overtime period, plus any unused timeouts remaining from the second half.
Under the current format, teams have five timeouts (four 30-second stoppages and one 60-second stoppage) with only four of those carrying over to the second half.
In non-televised games, teams would have five timeouts (three 30s and two 60s). Four of the timeouts would carry over to the second half.
