The NBA will expand the area that must be clear behind the basket and cutting the number of photographers along the baseline in an effort to improve player safety.

The new regulations call for an extra foot of open space on both sides of the basket stanchion.

A memo by Rod Thorn was sent to NBA teams on Tuesday.

The "escape lanes," the unoccupied area on either side of the stanchion to the closest photographer spot, will increase to 4 feet. Only 20 camera positions, 10 on each baseline, will remain, down from 40 during the 2010-11 regular season.

Thorn added in the memo that the changes have been planned for years, before Paul George suffered a broklen leg when he crashed into the basket stantion in an exhibition game for Team USA.