The NBA is introducing another piece of cutting-edge technology to the hardwood.
During this year’s NBA Summer League, the league will test a connected basketball equipped with an embedded sensor capable of detecting when a player makes contact with the ball. The initiative is part of the NBA’s ongoing effort to use technology to improve officiating without changing the way the game is played.
According to the league, the embedded sensor does not materially affect the basketball’s weight, feel, or playability, allowing players to compete with what feels like a standard game ball while the technology quietly gathers valuable data.
The information collected will initially be used to evaluate future officiating applications, with last-touch out-of-bounds calls serving as one of the primary areas of focus. Those plays have become increasingly scrutinized in recent years, especially during replay reviews where determining the final player to touch the ball can be difficult even with multiple camera angles.
A connected basketball could provide officials with another layer of objective data, potentially reducing controversial calls and speeding up replay decisions.
The Summer League has long served as the NBA’s proving ground for new ideas. This summer, the league is also experimenting with a one free-throw rule, in which a single free throw is taken and awarded the total point value of the foul situation. Testing the connected basketball alongside other innovations gives the league an opportunity to evaluate how emerging technologies can improve the pace, accuracy, and overall flow of the game before considering implementation at the NBA level.
While the connected basketball remains in the testing phase, its introduction signals the league’s continued commitment to blending technology with competition. If the results are encouraging, sensor-equipped basketballs could eventually become another standard tool in the NBA’s officiating arsenal, helping officials make more accurate decisions during some of the game’s biggest moments.
