Basketball across all levels has had uniform free throw rules practically since the beginning of time. If a player is fouled on a two-point shot and makes the shot, they take one free throw. If they miss that shot, they take two free throws. The same logic applies to 3-pointers. One free throw counts for one point. 

But according to Zach Lowe of ESPN, that is changing in the NBA G League. The NBA's developmental league is experimenting with a new rule this season. Rather than having a player shoot two or three free throws, the league will instead allow players to shoot only a single free throw when fouled. That free throw will count for all of the points a player could have potentially scored on the foul. If a player is fouled on a two-pointer, therefore, he would take one free throw for two points. These rules will be in place for most of each game but will revert back to traditional rules for the last two minutes and overtime. 

The goal of the new rule is to shave time off of games. Basketball games typically have the shortest run-time among major professional sports, but according to Lowe, G League officials estimate that this move should cut around six to eight minutes from the league's average. The rule is being tested in the G League now ostensibly to see if it would be viable at the NBA level. 

There are several concerns about importing these rules to the NBA. The biggest comes with rest. Players use free throw attempts as an opportunity to rest during games. Cutting that rest out might force teams to more aggressively manage the loads of their superstars. That could mean fewer minutes and more missed games. Lowe also noted that there is evidence that players traditionally shoot higher percentages on their second and third attempts from the line than their first, so this method could lead to lower scoring outputs. 

But capturing the attention of fans for full games is difficult. This would be an innovative method of shortening games on the NBA's part and making it easier for fans to consume its product. This kind of change is a long way off at the NBA level, but many rule changes it does see are first tested with the G League. That makes this the first step towards adoption in the NBA.