NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league plans to introduce an automated system for certain officiating decisions, including out-of-bounds calls.
The system would use AI and cameras placed around the court to determine possession. Silver compared the approach to Hawk-Eye, the tracking technology used for line calls in tennis.
Silver’s appearance came after a disputed call in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
Late in the third quarter, Spurs centre Victor Wembanyama was ruled to have touched the ball last on an out-of-bounds play. The replay showed the ball had bounced off the foot of Thunder forward Chet Holmgren. The call stood after the officials conferred.
The call drew attention after Oklahoma City took a 3-2 lead in the series. Silver said the NBA eventually intends to remove that category of objective calls from on-court officials.
NBA partnership with Hawk-Eye started in 2023
The NBA previously announced work with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations. In 2023, the league said it had entered a multi-year partnership to deploy 3D optical tracking technology.
The partnership followed several years of testing at Summer League and NBA arenas. The NBA said the system was designed to track the ball and player movement in three dimensions at sub-second latency.
The league also named out-of-bounds and goaltending as possible future use cases for automated officiating. Silver referred to out-of-bounds calls during the ESPN appearance.
Automated officiating systems are used in defined call categories in other sports. Tennis uses electronic line calling, while FIFA has used semi-automated offside technology. MLB is introducing an automated balls-and-strikes challenge system in 2026.
“We’re going to move to a system like that where that whole category of calls will be automatic,” Silver said.
He said the system would determine possession immediately, whether the ball belongs to the Lakers, Knicks, Thunder, Spurs, or another team.
Silver said the system would reduce the need for challenges on those calls.
Coach’s Challenge covers out-of-bounds reviews
Under current NBA rules, a Coach’s Challenge is the only way to trigger replay review of an out-of-bounds violation at any point during a game. Each team starts with one challenge and receives a second only if the first challenge is successful.
The NBA also expanded the Coach’s Challenge rule for the 2024–25 season. The change allows officials to review whether a foul should have been called during certain out-of-bounds reviews.
Silver said the technology would allow games to continue without stoppages for that category of decision. “It’ll be instantaneous, it’ll be automatic. Just play on,” he said.
The NBA has already expanded its use of replay review and centralised officiating support.
The league operates a Replay Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. According to the NBA, all 30 arenas are connected to the facility, which has 94 HD monitors, 23 workstations, and supports reviews across 15 instant replay triggers.
Referees remain responsible for fouls
Silver said referees would remain responsible for calls that require judgment, especially those involving contact and fouls.
He said contact occurs on many plays, but officials still need to decide whether the contact affected a player’s movement or ability to continue the play.
“There’s often contact on every play,” Silver said. “It doesn’t mean there’s a foul.” Silver did not give a specific timeline for introducing the automated system. He said the league expects to move in that direction “fairly quickly.”
(Photo by JC Gellidon)
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