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The NBA Board of Governors voted Tuesday to give the play-in
event permanent status moving forward. Previously, the play-in
structure was approved on a year-to-year basis.
The Board of Governors also added a rule change intended to
discourage defensive teams from committing so-called "take
fouls" that break up the opponents' fastbreak. Moving forward,
such fouls will now result in the offensive team getting one
foul shot and maintaining possession of the ball.
Both decisions by the Board of Governors rubberstamped unanimous
recommendations from the NBA's Competition Committee, which
includes players, officials from the National Basketball Players
Association, coaches, owners, front office executives and
referees.
The play-in event will continue with the format that was in
place each of the past two seasons. In each conference, the
seventh- and eighth-place teams play a single game, with the
winner heading to the postseason as the seventh seed. The loser
of that game faces the winner of a single-game matchup between
the ninth- and 10th-place teams, with the victor in the final
game earning the eighth seed.
The first season the NBA used a play-in event, only the eighth-
and ninth-place teams in each conference were to be involved,
and then only if the ninth-place team finished within four games
of the eighth-place team. The ninth-place team had to beat the
eighth-place team twice to reach the playoffs, while the
eighth-place team needed just one win.
The "take foul" rule adds a deterrent for the defensive team
against illegally thwarting fastbreaks. Previously, the team
that was fouled would only resume possession out of bounds.
-Field Level Media
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