NBA to allow expanded use of instant replay

[October 24, 2008]  NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA's Board of Governors has approved the expanded use of instant replay for this season.

Referees will be allowed to review video to determine if a field goal was a 2- or 3-point attempt, or to decide if a shooting foul was committed behind the arc and warrants three shots instead of two.

"I can see at the end of the game that's a really important aspect," Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Thursday night before an exhibition game against Charlotte.

"We've been playing with the 3-point line, what, 30 years? There are mistakes that happen, and there are 2-pointers that are missed. But that's also part of the game. Guys step on the out of bounds line, guys are in the 3-second lane too long, guys hang on the rim -- there are a lot of things like that."

At their meeting Thursday, owners also approved the use of replay if the game clock malfunctions in the final seconds of a quarter of overtime, helping the officials better determine how much time should have come off the clock or if the period should have ended.

Now, refs must reconstruct the play and make that determination without video -- a rule that was criticized following a clock problem during an Orlando-Detroit playoff game last season.

"The mechanics of it is always interesting, how that's going to work out," Jackson said. "I think football's been caught in a dilemma where they end up having situations that have extended their games perhaps 15 extra minutes. I'm sure ours is going to be fraught with typical details.

"The wording itself is kind of interesting. A special guy has to sit there now who's provided by the club. He's going to call back to the truck and he has to announce what's happening. The referee has to have a signal, and then they have to be able to do it during a timeout situation."

[Associated Press]

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