Policy and Policy Response on the Court: A Theoretical and Empirical Examination of the Three-Point Line Extension in Basketball

Justin A. Ehrlich, Shankar Ghimire, Thomas R. Sadler, Shane D. Sanders

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper considers recent and historical changes in the three-point line distance at the NCAA and NBA levels as an example of policy change with highly-measurable outcome(s). The paper presents several empirical tests describing a point-maximizing basketball team's optimal allocation of two-point and three-point shots. It does so primarily in the context that the NCAA Men's Basketball three-point line was extended from 20′9″ to 21′9″ in advance of the 2019–20 season, and similar analysis for the NBA in the 1990s. We find that a three-point line extension significantly lowers three- and two-point shot proficiency, while decreasing (increasing) three-point (two-point) shot volume.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)159-173
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Sports Economics
Volume24
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2023

Keywords

  • C72
  • J18
  • J48
  • L83
  • P16
  • Z28
  • policy response
  • public choice
  • sports economics
  • strategic offsetting behavior
  • substitution

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous)

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