The NBA Board of Governors announced on Tuesday that it had agreed to the implementation of a new rule starting next season. This new rule will allow coaches to challenge one referee all per game.
It is true that the NBA's last few seasons have had its fair share of dubious calls from referees. Aside from these dubious calls, calls can sometimes completely miss a call. This has created a rift between the referees, players, and coaches. Some of these calls happen during a crucial point in a game. In a tightly contested game, a single missed call can be the main factor for a win or a loss.
Aside from this new coach challenge rule, the NBA will also impose a new rule regarding replays. According to the NBA Board of Governors, the NBA's replay center will be obliged to initiate replay proceedings for certain types of plays.
These rules were proposed by the league's competition committee. Both rules were unanimously supported by all of the league's 30 teams.
The coach's challenge rule has been adopted by the NBA's G League in its past two seasons. Additionally, it has also been used in this year's summer league. However, there is a caveat to this new rule. It will only be imposed on a one-year trial basis.
According to this new rule, teams can challenge a referee's call once per game, whether it is successful or not. It can be used to challenge a certain call in a variety of scenarios. These scenarios include a personal foul, a goaltending violation, an out-of-bounds play, or basket interference. The challenge can be used during any point of the game. However, during the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, all out of bounds, basket interference, and goaltending calls will be reviewed automatically and cannot be challenged.
In order to use the challenge, a team must have a timeout and must call it after the play they want to question. If a team does not have an additional timeout when they challenge the call, the team will be charged with a technical foul, and the challenge will not be allowed. The officials will check the video replay in order to asses overturn the call or not. More importantly, there must be clear and conclusive video evidence in order to overturn a call.
As for the league's replay center, it can now instantly call reviews for two types of pays whether it was a 2-point or 3-point shot, and for shot-clock violations.
