New York (AFP) – NBA referees will use headsets during games starting Saturday to allow them to communicate in real time with the NBA replay center and each other, the league announced on Friday. The move, with the NBA working in cooperation with the National Basketball Referees Association, launches a two-phase process aimed at improving game flow and enhancing officiating accuracy.
In phase one, each referee will have an earpiece clipped on their uniform. Referees will be able to unclip the earpiece and place it in their ears only during instant replay reviews and as needed during other game stoppages, but not during live play.
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After evaluating the results of the first phase of the new system, a second phase would begin in January, allowing earpieces to be worn throughout a game, including during live play. In the second phase, referees would be able to communicate directly with the replay center and each other at all times during the game. This phase would run at least through the NBA All-Star Game break in February.
The technology to be used was tested during preseason games over the past two seasons, the NBA Summer League from 2023-2025, and the developmental NBA G League Winter Showcase from 2022-2024.
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