NBA to Reintroduce Referee Headsets During Live Play on Tuesday
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The NBA will place wireless headsets back on referees beginning Tuesday, launching a new test phase that will run through games played on Feb. 12, the league announced Monday.
Unlike the season’s opening experiment, when crew chiefs clipped the devices to their uniforms and used them only during replay reviews and other stoppages until Dec. 12, officials will now keep earpieces in throughout the entire contest. The change allows constant, two-way communication among the on-court crew and the league’s replay center.
In a memo to teams, the NBA said the initial trial improved call accuracy and sped up game flow. The league added that upgraded technology is expected to solve earlier issues with audio quality and occasional signal disruptions.
Similar headsets are standard in the NFL, FIFA competitions, England’s Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga and Major League Soccer.
The NBA has experimented with the system since 2022 at events such as the G League Winter Showcase, NBA Summer League and various preseason games.
Source: ESPN.com
