NBA approves use of coach’s challenge in ’19-20

LAS VEGAS — At its annual meeting here during NBA Summer League, the NBA’s Board of Governors approved a pair of changes for next season: the use of a coach’s challenge and for the league’s replay center to initiate replay proceedings for certain types of plays.

The NBA’s competition committee proposed both changes, which earned unanimous support from the league’s 30 teams.

The coach’s challenge, which has been used in the NBA’s G League for each of the past two seasons and has been in place for this year’s version of the Summer League, will be used next season by the NBA on a one-year trial basis.

Teams can use one challenge per game regardless of whether it is successful, and it can be utilized to question a variety of instances, including a called personal foul on its own team, an out-of-bounds call, goaltending or basket interference. The challenge can be used at any point during the game. However, in the final two minutes of the fourth period or overtime, any out of bounds, goaltending or basket interference calls will be automatically triggered for review and are not challengeable.

To challenge a play, a team must have a timeout and call one after the play, and then its coach must make a twirling gesture with his finger toward the referees. If a team doesn’t have a timeout and attempts to challenge a play, they’ll be charged a technical foul and no challenge will occur. There must be clear and conclusive visual evidence to overturn a call.

Meanwhile, the league’s replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, is now able to instantly call for the review of two types of plays: whether a shot is a 2- or 3-pointer (both for made baskets to determine which it is, as well as when a player is fouled while shooting to determine whether they get two or three free throws), and for a potential shot clock violation.

The league will now have a “courtside administrator,” a new position hired and supervised by the NBA’s league office, positioned at the scorer’s table to speed up the communication between the replay center and the on-court referees.