From the HERE City National Desk
The NBA is trying out two new pieces of officiating technology during select preseason games, the league announced Monday.
Some exhibition games will use a connected basketball with a Bluetooth sensor inside that collects data for possible future use in real-time officiating decisions. The league said the data is for research only and will not affect any calls made during those games.
The balls were developed by Wilson, the league’s official ball supplier, together with SportIQ, a company that came through the NBA Launchpad program. Small sensors weighing about a gram are built into the ball’s air valve to track movement and contact. One question being studied is whether calls on which player last touched a ball before it went out of bounds could be automated. The balls have been tested at the past two Summer Leagues.
Referees in select games will also wear wrist devices to communicate with the league’s Replay Center during replay reviews, scoring changes and clock malfunctions. The NBA said the wearables went through a successful pilot at Summer League.
Neither technology will be carried into the regular season.
