Rules: FIBA vs. NBA vs. NCAA

A couple days ago, True Hoop had a post touching upon Johnny Hollinger's rant on why FIBA's rules are so markedly different from the NBA's.

As I've been watching the Worlds, something I've been pondering is what would be my ideal set of rules if we could standardize across the board.

[For reference, here is an excellent site breaking down FIBA vs. U.S. rules.]

Here's what I came up with:
From FIBA
TRAPEZOID LANE
I've really grown to like this thing, which is 12' wide at the FT line, bowing out to 19'8" at the baseline (as opposed to the NBA's 16'). I just like how it spaces the floor, and forces big men to be more skillful than powerful.

From NBA
THREE-POINT LINE
The international line (20'6") is not quite as ridiculous as the college line (19'9"), which drives me crazy and is a big reason that I have trouble watching the college game, esp. now that they shoot 3's at will. Put it like this: I am several years past my prime, such as it was, yet my fat ass can still get out there right now and knock down 3's from the international and college lines. And that's not right. Make it a man's shot: 23'9" down to 22" in the corner.

BASKET INTERFERENCE
One way or the other, this one really needs to be standardized just because it's such an instinctual play that I think it's really unfair to players who aren't used to the rule. Maybe it's because I'm American, but I like the rule that you can't touch it in the cylinder. That said, I'm willing to accept the international rule if that means it's standardized - that's all I want with this one.

RESTRICTED AREA FOR TAKING CHARGES
I really like this rule. I think it's really cheap when a team allows a guy to penetrate all the way to the goal but then some guy steps in under the hoop to draw a charge, as can be done in FIBA and NCAA. It's not good defense to let a guy get to the basket, and you shouldn't be rewarded for it.

JUMP BALL
FIBA and NCAA go alternate possession, which is just kind of wussy to me. Jump em up on a held ball and let the players go after it! Jump balls late in close games can really be quite tense and exciting.

LITTLE THINGS
I just like how the NBA closes all the little loopholes in terms of things like stopping the clock after buckets in the last two minutes, not allowing fouls prior to the pass on inbounds, its rules on breakaway/clear path fouls etc., although they've gotten way too soft in terms of calling flagrant fouls every time a guy lands awkwardly, regardless of intent.

From NCAA
5-SECOND CLOSELY-GUARDED RULE
NBA has none, FIBA has one but only on held balls. I like that the NCAA calls it on the dribble as well. I don't think there's any rule that promotes team play as well as this one. There were rumors that the NBA was going to institute it when they made their big rule changes a couple years ago, and I think it's too bad that it didn't happen.

10-SECOND BACKCOURT RULE
It just seems unnatural to change a tried-and-true rule in order to articifially up the tempo, as the NBA and FIBA have done is cutting the 10-second count down to 8. But I suppose you could argue that the shot clock and three-point line are just as artifical. So maybe I should just deal with it.

Can't decide
DEFENSIVE RESTRICTIONS
I like to think of myself as a purist, and I really want to support zone defenses with no restrictions, but I have to admit that I like how the NBA's defensive three-second rule opens up the court and forces defenders to have some agility. I'm torn.

GAME LENGTH
Likewise, the 40-minute game feels like the right length for a basketball game, but I'm bred on following the 48-minute game, and I can't really imagine the NBA game at anything but that. [Note: I'm cool with 5 fouls per player in FIBA - 1 foul/8 mins is the right ratio. 6 fouls in 40, like the WNBA has, and the Big East had in its 3-hour-long game era, is awful.]

In general
BASKETBALL SIZE
This falls under the basket interference category - just standardize it one way or the other! Ridiculous that the balls are different sizes.

THREE OFFICIALS
Thank goodness FIBA has gone to three refs per game - the officiating has been markedly better in Japan as opposed to Athens, when they had two, though there are still decidedly bizarre calls quite often.