OSAKA - Players hurt during the course of a PBA game will now be substituted in a 15-second window starting in Season 49 of the league.
Whether truly injured or just trying to take a rest, players will now have to be taken out of the playing court immediately.
"Ngayon bibigyan sila ng 15 seconds para palitan," said PBA commissioner Willie Marcial about another innovation the league will apply when the new season begins on August 18 with the import-laden Governors' Cup.
"Pag nilabas 'yung player, puwede siyang bumalik anytime."
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The rule change comes together with the league's adoption of the four-point shot which will likewise be enforced this new season.
The 15-second rule - approved during the board's annual planning session at the Swissotel Nankai - apparently targets players who are just pretending to be hurt, but actually are only trying to buy time for rest.
"May mga players kasi na hindi naman nasaktan and will stay there (down on the floor) para magpahinga for how many minutes. So ngayon meron kang 15 seconds para i-substitute yung player," added new vice-chairman Alfrancis Chua.
But players who got hurt in the act of shooting and have to be substituted can only go back inside after three minutes.
"Yung pinalitan na nasaktan, three minutes kang uupo," Chua said.
Automatic substitution
Players who are really hurt and can't get up during the allotted time will still be substituted automatically.
"The intention is to make the games faster kasi itong players when they call and act that they are injured, the experience is that they need more than a minute to get up," noted chairman Ricky Vargas.
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