NBA passes 3 rule changes for 2018-19 season

The NBA Board of Governors has passed three rule changes for the upcoming season.

The changes are as follows:

• Reset of the shot clock to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound;
• A simplification of the clear-path rule; and
• Expanded definition of "hostile act" for triggering replays

The NBA also passed an increase in retirement benefits for general managers, coaches, trainers, and senior basketball executives, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Currently, the shot clock resets to 24 seconds after an offensive rebound, and it resets to 14 seconds only after a defensive foul is called with 13 seconds or fewer remaining.

Though there is no mention of the reported simplified definition of clear-path fouls, the current ruling gives the offensive player two free throws and possession if:

• The ball and an offensive player were positioned between the tip-off-circle extended in the backcourt and the basket in the frontcourt,
• There was no defender between the ball and the basket,
• There was no defender ahead of the player being fouled with the opportunity to position himself between the ball and the basket,
• The defender who committed the foul against the player with the ball was not ahead of him at any time after he entered the frontcourt, and
• The foul denied the offensive team an opportunity to score

The final change is to the NBA's definition of a "hostile act" to trigger video replay for a referee. The current definition outlines any situation "when a player intentionally or recklessly harms or attempts to harm another player with a punch, elbow, kick, or blow to the head."

The rule changes were presented in front of the board of governors on Friday and were initially recommended in August.