NBA’s Move Towards Automated Officiating
It’s becoming increasingly challenging to enjoy prime-time NBA games, and commissioner Adam Silver seems to be recognizing the issue at last.
In a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Silver mentioned that the league is heading towards automating officiating, particularly regarding replay calls that regularly disrupt playoff games.
Or, you know, they might not always work as intended.
“I think we’ll reach a point pretty soon where calls, such as out-of-bounds plays, will be made automatically,” Silver told McAfee.
He elaborated, saying, “We’re looking to create a system where an entire category of calls is automated. These will be handled by an AI system with cameras set up all around the court. It’ll be instantaneous and automatic.”
Silver’s aim is to cut down on delays caused by replay reviews. Fans have voiced their annoyance with foul calls, and the issue of flopping is prevalent, especially in the Western Conference playoffs.
A significant source of this criticism seems to be Oklahoma City Thunder’s star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His playoff performance has drawn attention to what many see as a growing problem with how players sometimes exaggerate fouls.
“All I’m saying is there’s a distinct difference between convincingly selling a call and doing so in an exaggerated way,” Silver commented. “If referees aren’t fooled by it, it appears that players are being trained to sell fouls more effectively these days.”
Silver expresses frustration particularly with these tactics, noting, “There’s a lot of contact on every play, but that doesn’t automatically imply a foul.”
He remarked, “I believe technology can be a significant help in addressing these challenges.”
For years now, the NBA has leaned its officiating rules toward favoring offensive players. Carrying violations are rarely called, moving screens are commonly overlooked, and defenders often find themselves penalized for what can seem like minimal contact with ball handlers.
Silver’s statements clearly indicate that the NBA is eager to leverage technology to address some of the chaos observed during the playoffs.
