Fans Felt Shock After 2025’s 36-Foot Rule Change. The league announced this tweak this week, and reporter Shams Charania first posted the update on X on Sep 10, 2025. For the upcoming 2025-26 season, end-of-quarter heaves launched from at least 36 feet will be recorded as a team attempt, not an individual miss. That will shield personal field-goal percentages and could reshape late-quarter playcalling. This feels like a small stat tweak with outsized behavioral effects – how will coaches and players adapt now?
What changes now for fans after NBA’s 36-foot heave rule in 2025
• NBA finalized the new heave rule this week; it affects end-of-quarter shots.
• Shots launched 36 feet+ in final three seconds count as a team attempt.
• Players’ individual FG% will no longer be penalized for those misses.
Why the 36-foot heave rule shift matters to shooting stats in 2025
The timing matters because the season begins soon and teams already design buzzer plays; this rule changes the cost of a desperate launch. Shams Charania’s X posts on Sep 10, 2025 broke the news, and the NBA posted its explanation days later, confirming the rule will apply to attempts in the final three seconds of the first three quarters launched from 36 feet or more. Expect coaches to weigh end-quarter risk differently now, and players to attempt heaves with less stat anxiety.
Which analysts and teams are reacting to the 2025 heave rule?
Many pundits framed the change as both playful and consequential; some worry it encourages gimmicks. The initial social announcement from a leading NBA reporter went viral and sparked debate among analysts and fans.
The NBA will implement a new change for the 2025-26 season: unsuccessful end-of-period heaves will now be recorded as a missed field-goal attempt for the team, not the player, sources tell ESPN. Those long heaves will no longer impact an individual player's percentages.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 10, 2025
Analysts pointed to a tiny baseline make rate and asked whether teams will design actual heave specialists. Short take: this nudges behavior without changing score values.
Data points that show why the NBA moved to protect heave shooters in 2025
SportRadar tracking shows these attempts are extremely rare and rarely successful: only about 4% were made last season under the heave criteria. The NBA noted stars like Stephen Curry (four makes) and Nikola Jokić (three makes) logged a handful of such makes last season. Those tiny counts help explain why the league felt comfortable shifting stat attribution.
The numbers behind the 36-foot heave rule and its impact in 2025
| KPI | Value + Unit | Change/Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Heave make rate | 4% | Very low baseline makes |
| Steph Curry heaves | 4 makes | Notable outlier last season |
| Nikola Jokić heaves | 3 makes | Example of elite success |
These figures show heaves are rare but notable when they land.
How players, coaches and media split over the rule this week
Some voices call it a harmless encouragement of spectacle; others say it’s stat-shaping policy for optics. Coaches may now script low-probability plays without worrying about a player’s shooting percentage. Fans will decide whether more long heaves are thrilling or silly.
The NBA is making a big change, and it might impact Nikola Jokic more than anyone else.
According to Shams Charania, missed half-court heaves at the end of quarters will not hurt a player's stats. They will now be recorded only as a missed field goal for the team.
How would… pic.twitter.com/jMBsoUhRak
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 11, 2025
Expect heated social reaction in the first weeks of the season as teams try and servers tally the results.
What will the 36-foot rule mean for players, contracts and late-game strategy in 2025?
This tweak removes a small personal penalty and could change who takes desperation shots. Over time, teams might recruit or designate players known for deep heaves, and analytics models will adjust how late-quarter possession value is measured. Could contract talks eventually reference protected heave attempts and their effect on percentages? Will we see specialists for buzzer heaves this season?
Sources
- https://www.nba.com/news/nbas-heave-rule-will-allow-deep-end-of-quarter-shots-without-hurting-shooting-percentages
- https://www.npr.org/2025/09/12/nx-s1-5539263/half-court-heaves-in-the-nba-will-now-count-against-the-team
- https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46217260/long-end-quarter-shots-count-nba-teams-not-players
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Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.