The NBA Board of Governors met last night, and we already told you about a disturbing decision it made – the use of small advertisements on NBA jerseys. Many of you on Twitter voiced your displeasure, and frankly we couldn’t agree more. But that wasn’t the only thing to come out of last night’s meeting: the NBA will expand the use of video replay as well, and the change will happen immediately in 2012-2013.
Here are the specifics:
“At any point in the game, officials can now check video replay on all flagrant fouls.
‘So the call is flagrant foul and then you go the tape, and you decide whether it’s a 1 or a 2, or in some rare instance, maybe even a common foul,’ Stern said.
Officials now can use video replay in the final two minutes of overtime to decide whether a defender was in or out of the restricted area around the basket on charge and blocking fouls. Replay also can be used for goaltending calls in the late stages of games as well.”
Although these changes are relatively minor, they’ve been a long time coming. Remember when Tyler Hansbrough knocked Dwyane Wade in the face while going for the ball? Remember Udonis Haslem’s retaliatory two-handed whack? Both were called flagrant ones, but clearly Haslem’s foul was way more vicious. Now, with replay, officials will be able to correct such an error.
Restricted area replay is huge, too, simply because it’s not a judgement call. You’re either in or you’re out, and it’s often to difficult to tell in real time.
The competition committee will also meet in September to discuss the implementation of anti-flopping rules or fines. This was the hot-button issue of the playoffs, and we’re curious to see what comes of those conversations. Because, really, plays like this just can’t happen anymore.
What do you think?
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