NBA Begins Review of AI Officiating System

The NBA is accelerating its pursuit of fair officiating by reviewing the introduction of an AI-based automated officiating system. AI is expected to be used to assist in making objective calls during games, such as whether the ball went out of bounds or which team last touched it.

In 2023, the NBA signed a multi-year collaboration agreement with Sony's Hawk-Eye Innovations. This technology tracks the 3D movement of the ball and players and operates with a delay of less than one second. Through this system, the NBA believes it can reduce the need for coach challenges on out-of-bounds calls and allow games to continue with immediate, automated decisions.

Areas requiring subjective judgment, such as contact situations or foul calls, will remain the responsibility of human referees. The NBA is joining the trend of expanding automated officiating technology seen in sports like tennis, soccer, and Major League Baseball (MLB). FIFA utilizes a semi-automatic offside system, and MLB is also pushing for the adoption of an automated ball-strike system. AI-based officiating technology can enhance game accuracy and speed while potentially transforming the role of sports officials themselves.