By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
ACB announced that starting from the 2018-2019 season, Spanish League referees will be able to review an increased type of plays/calls via Instant Replay. This implementation will be first launched in the upcoming Spanish Supercup (21-22 September).
Among the reviewable situations will be whether a foul is a normal or unsportsmanlike and clarifying which players participated in a confrontation (and are to be sanctioned). This change in the plays that will be reviewed in the instant replay will also be applied in next season’s EuroLeague.
Also, there will be a possibility to check if a block is illegal or if a basket is converted within the timeframe of the 24-second shot clock.
Head coaches also have the right to request a play (that is included in the new protocol) to be reviewed via the instant replay once in a game. If the instant replay changes the initial decision of the referees, then the coaches can ask them to review another play in the game.
The Instant Replay changes are as follows:
- At any moment of the game that the referees call a foul, they can check via the Instant replay if the foul is a normal one or an unsportsmanlike foul.
- Referees will be able to verify if a made basket was made within the shot clock in any moment of the game.
- If a foul is committed on a different location of the court that where the ball is played, the Instant replay can be used at any moment of the game (previously this could take place only in the last two minutes of the match) to check whether the foul was committed before a converted basket.
- Referees will be able to check if a foul they called at the same time with shot clock buzzer, was committed before or after the shot clock violation.
- Apart from checking which players of the bench or technical staff participated in a confrontation, referees can also check via the instant replay the ones responsible for each separate action. The instant replay applies for everything that transpired after the game is stopped.
- Referees will be able to verify if a player was fouled while attempting a 2-pointer or a 3-pointer.
- In the case of an offensive foul during a shooting action, it will be possible to verify if the ball has left the player’s hands before making contact with the defender.
- Referees will be able to use the instant replay to check if a block is illegal or not and reset the offense clock to 14 or 24 seconds.
In the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime:
- There will be a possibility of checking if there has been an out-of-bounds violation, as long as the referees called it.
- Referees will be able to check if a backcourt violation took place, as long as they called it.
In the final play of the last period or overtime:
- Referees will be able to verify if a foul occurred before or after the end of the period, as long as they called it.
Photo: ACB