1905–06 collegiate men's basketball season in the United States

The 1905–06 collegiate men's basketball season in the United States began in December 1905, progressed through the regular season, and concluded in March 1906.

Rule changes
NOTE: These rules were in effect for the 1905–06 season, but it is unclear whether they were changes introduced for the 1905–06 season itself or prior to a previous, unidentified season.


 * Games were played in two 20-minute halves separated by a 10-minute rest time.
 * A timeout called while the ball was in play resulted in a jump ball when play resumed. A timeout called when the ball was out of bounds resulted in the team in possession of the ball retaining possession.
 * Personal fouls were separated into two types. Class A fouls were general fouls called for delay of game; "tackling" the ball (i.e., touching the ball while a teammate already was touching it); kicking, striking, advancing, or hugging the ball; shooting after dribbling; tackling, holding, or pushing an opponent; and addressing the game officials. Class B fouls were more flagrant in nature, defined as striking, kicking, shouldering, tripping, or hacking an opponent; unnecessary roughness; and using profane or abusive language. If a player committed two class B fouls, he was disqualified for the remainder of the game.
 * If a player was fouled in the act of shooting, his team automatically received one point. In addition, if his shot resulted in a field goal, the field goal counted for an additional two points. He also was given one free throw, worth one more point if it was successful.
 * If a player touched the ball or the basket when the ball was on the edge of the rim, the referee awarded one point to the shooting team. This rule was the ancestor of what later would become known as "defensive goaltending."
 * Each game had a referee, an umpire, two inspectors, and an official scorer. The referee, who served as the senior official and ultimate authority for the game, mainly called fouls and was responsible for starting and stopping play. The umpire, who reported to the referee, also called fouls. The inspectors had no decision-making powers but served as the referee's assistants, with one stationed at each end of the court and responsible for determining whether goals were scored in accordance with the rules, which they reported to the referee. The official scorer kept track of the scoring and fouls for each player and each team.
 * The home team appointed a timekeeper. The visiting team had the option of appointing an assistant timekeeper, but was not required to.
 * The clock continued to run during dead-ball situations, such as when the ball was out of bounds or during free throws. The clock stopped only when ordered by the referee.

Season headlines

 * The Western Conference (the future Big Ten Conference) sponsored its first conference basketball season and recognized a regular-season champion for the first time.
 * In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected Dartmouth as its national champion for the 1905–06 season.
 * In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Wabash as its national champion for the 1905–06 season.

Independents
A total of 53 college teams played as independents. Among independents that played 10 or more games, (10–0) fiished with the best winning percentage (1.000) and (17–1) with the most wins.

Helms College Basketball All-Americans
The practice of selecting a Consensus All-American Team did not begin until the 1928–29 season. The Helms Athletic Foundation later retroactively selected a list of All-Americans for the 1905–06 season.

Major player of the year awards

 * Helms Player of the Year: George Grebenstein, Dartmouth (retroactive selection in 1944)

Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.