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NBA officials are sporting some new gear this preseason.
Referees have been seen wearing earpieces throughout the league’s preseason schedule, which started last week, in order to better communicate with each other and the league’s replay center in Secaucus, N.J. The news was first reported by Marc Stein.
This is the second preseason the NBA has tested the technology and has also been used at various points during summer league and the G League season. This is the first time the officials are connected to both each other and the league’s replay center.
All three officials on the floor will have an earpiece for every NBA preseason game, a league source confirmed to Front Office Sports, but it’s too early to tell if and when the technology will be used during the regular season, the source added.
NBA officiating came under intense scrutiny this past season, both for the amount of time replays added to games and the inconsistent standard for what constitutes a foul. Both players and coaches consistently complained about officiating last year.
The earpieces have the potential to improve both the flow of games, speed up reviews by letting refs talk before having to go to a monitor, and improve the accuracy of calls made during games.
Earpieces are not unique to the NBA. They have long been used in the NFL, MLB, and NFL among other leagues, but not in college football. MLB’s replay center is also in Secaucus and umpires’ earpieces allow them to talk with their peers at headquarters reviewing the play.
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