By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
NBA referees will be able to call flagrant or technical fouls on defenders who close on their opponents without allowing them space to land, something similar to the Zaza Pachulia – Kawhi Leonard incident.
Officials will also make sure jump shooters are in their upward shooting motion when determining if a perimeter foul is worthy of free throws, which could cut down on James Harden‘s attempts after he swings his arms into contact, Yahoo Sports reports.
“It’s 100 percent for the safety of the players,” Joe Borgia, NBA senior vice president of replay and referee operations stated.
With the fouls on the perimeter shots – sometimes coming when the offensive player has come off a screen and quickly attempts to make a shot as his defender tries to catch up – officials will focus on the sequencing of the play. The player with the ball must already be in his shooting motion when contact is made, rather than gathering the ball to shoot such as on a drive to the basket.