The NBA has announced an expansion of the coach's challenge reviews for out-of-bounds plays, allowing for the assessment of fouls that should have been called on the play. This change was approved by the league's Board of Governors at a recent meeting in New York and will take effect this season.
Under the new rule, if a foul should have been called during an out-of-bounds play that is being reviewed, officials can now assess the foul shortly after the fact. This adjustment was unanimously recommended by the league's competition committee and is aimed at enhancing the accuracy of officiating in such situations.
The league highlighted a specific scenario from last season's playoffs involving a play between Dallas' Kyrie Irving and Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels. Despite Irving committing a foul on McDaniels during an out-of-bounds play, no foul was called, and the ball was awarded to Dallas. With the new review protocol, officials will have the opportunity to retroactively call a foul in similar instances.
When coaches trigger a review of an out-of-bounds play, on-court officials and the NBA Replay Center will now have the authority to review the video footage to determine if a foul should have been called in proximity to the violation. This assessment will be based on specific criteria, including whether the players involved in the uncalled foul are the same or different from those in the out-of-bounds violation, as well as the time elapsed between the uncalled foul and the violation.
This adjustment aims to provide a more comprehensive review process for out-of-bounds plays and ensure that fouls are appropriately addressed during coach's challenges. The NBA continues to prioritize the integrity and accuracy of officiating in its games, and this rule change represents a step towards achieving that goal.
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