NCAA Approves International 3-Point Line Distance for Women’s Basketball

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (June 3, 2021) – The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved moving the 3-point line to the international distance of 22 feet, 1¾ inches in women’s basketball, beginning with the 2021-22 season.

The NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee proposed the change after studying statistical trends that showed the number of attempted and successful 3-point field goal attempts reached all-time high levels in all three divisions during the 2020-21 season.

In Division I, women’s teams attempted 16.4 3-point field goal attempts per game last season and made an average of 6.1 shots beyond the arc, which had been set at 20 feet, 9 inches.

Division II statistics showed an average of 20.5 3-point field goals attempted per game, with 6.4 made on average during the 2020-21 season. The Division III statistics were 19.3 and 5.7, respectively.

Men’s Basketball Shot clock

The panel approved allowing shot clocks to have tenths of seconds be displayed next season. It would not be required, but schools could choose to use this optional rule.