When the restricted area under the basket was first implemented in 2009, the NCAA was the recipient of countless criticisms that the rule would be difficult to enforce without some markings on the court, designating where that area was. While in the restricted area, a secondary defender may not take a charge, but where the boundaries of that area actually are is, like a strike-zone in baseball, up to the officials to determine on a play-by-play basis.
Yesterday, the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee recommended the adoption of an arc on the court to designate the restricted area, citing safety concerns. The intention is the limit the number of collisions that occur near the basket. According to committee chair Mike Brey, a "high percentage of coaches and administrators favored a visual mark on the floor."
The arc would extend three feet from the center of the basket. The NCAA had experimented with a 2-foot arc during multi-team events in the fall, and while it made the calls easier for officials, the committee felt that 2-feet wasn't enough space.
The marking is already in use at the professional levels in America and in Europe.