Rebounds Rule Adjustment (Advanced/Basic Game)

21.0 REBOUNDS 

21.2 As in the basic game, an offensive rebound always results in an open shot for the rebounder.

I never was a fan of this particular rule. Using this rule, as written, almost every offensive rebound results in an immediate put back shot. I say "almost" because a player who took few shots per 48 minutes could get a replay result, but still, most of the time an immediate shot result will occur. Well, what's wrong with that you may ask. Don't almost all offensive rebounds in the NBA result in an immediate put back shot attempt by the rebounding player? Well, maybe in 1981, when the current game rules were created (I'll have to watch some old games on YouTube and see). But in the modern game, once the three-point shot became prevalent, it seems that about half of all offensive rebounds result in the team resetting the offense and trying to get a three.

Then you also have the situation where a player takes an outside or three-point shot, and tracks down his own rebound off a long bounce. According to the rule as written, almost every offensive rebound tracked down by a shooter who missed an outside shot or a three, gets an open inside rebound shot. Not realistic at all, in my opinion.

 Therefore, I've totally rewritten rule 21.2 for my board game play as follows:

21.2 If a player rebounds his own missed shot on a three-point or outside shot attempt, the player may not attempt a rebound shot; instead, accept a replay result and reset the offense. In all other offensive rebound situations, if the missed shot result came from the shooter’s card, then the rebounder will automatically attempt an open rebound shot. If the missed shot result came from either the Team Defense card or a defender’s X-column, then no rebound shot occurs; the offense must accept a replay result and reset the offense.

So, in effect; if a player gets his own offensive rebound off a missed outside or three-point shot, it is an automatic reset of the offense. In all other offensive rebound situations their is a 50/50 chance of that an open inside rebound shot will occur, and a 50/50 chance that the offense will reset.

Not only does this rule make the game play more realistically, but it also reduces the number of field goal attempts slightly, in a game that produces a tad too many field goal attempts to begin with (more on that in a future post).