The NBA will use the preseason to test a connected basketball and referee wrist communication devices, with neither tool set to change regular-season officiating just yet.
The league said Monday that selected exhibition games will feature Wilson-made smart balls equipped with Bluetooth sensors. Those balls can capture data that could eventually assist real-time officiating decisions, but the information gathered in preseason games will remain strictly part of a research program. It will not be used to make or alter calls on the floor.
Connected ball enters the preseason
The sensor-equipped basketball is the league’s latest look at technology that could supply officials with live data. The NBA did not specify which preseason games would use the ball or detail the exact information the sensor will collect.
For now, the connected ball is a test-bed item rather than an officiating tool. Referees will continue to make decisions without input from the ball’s data feed during the exhibition schedule.
Officials to wear replay communication devices
Referees in selected preseason games will also wear wrist devices designed to connect them with the NBA Replay Center. The devices may be used in defined situations, including video reviews, scoring corrections and clock issues.
The NBA tested the wrist technology during Summer League and described that pilot as successful. Even so, the league said the wearable system will not carry into regular-season games.
Both trials give the league a preseason window to evaluate how the technology works in an NBA game environment before deciding whether either system has a larger future role.
