Would tech-enhanced offiating refine NBA basketball or force it to change?

[-Sammy-]

I had what I think is an interesting thought after reading the '3 Seconds' thread. In that thread, I wrote this:

I think that within the next decade, we're going to see a lot more tech entering pro sports officiating, with refs trained to call games the old-fashioned way in the event that the tech fails.

Imagine it: basketballs with telemetric sensors to detect things like carrying, out-of-bounds touches, buzzer-beaters, etc., synced with courts that can monitor boundaries and perimeters, travels, etc. We're also not that far away from the tech being able to model a game in real-time 3D, so that refs (and reviewers at the replay center or in a review booth at the game) can review plays in near-real time, from any angle, down to the millisecond.

We all know that NBA refs miss a lot of stuff and don't call games evenly, and that players get away with bending/breaking the rules a lot. Some of this is just a function of human fallibility and some of it is ineptitude, but everyone accepts it for the most part.

Let's assume a future tech-enhanced league in which the rules are enforced perfectly and consistently at all times. Which scenario do you find more likely?:

- that the players eventually acclimate their play to an environment in which they aren't ever allowed to get away with anything, and they learn to play perfectly within the rules

- that the struggle to play perfectly interferes with the flow, pace, and fun of the game so greatly that the league eventually relaxes and modifies the rules and/or officiating in order to preserve the magnitude of its entertainment

I know this is kind of a far-out 'concept' thread, but I found the idea compelling, so hopefully a few of us will get some fun out of thinking about how the integration of technology might change the sport for us as fans.

[Froob]

A lot of it is they don't want certain things called. The NBA doesn't want every travel and 3 second violation called.

[Domejandro]

I think it would be a detriment to the game. I think the baselines and sidelines should have sensors to tell if someone steps out, but I have some trepidations towards making the league all tech.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I've wondered this too. Video recognition is getting so good that computers could call out of bounds, determine if a foot was on the 3 point line, even travels.. all the things that refs routinely miss.

I think it would still have trouble determining a foul, that is the type of nuanced understanding and calculation that humans can still do way beyond any computer. It isn't as simple as seeing if a pivot foot moved, or if the orange ball crossed into the black line, so we are a long ways from a computer completely reffing the game

The downside is it would be very ticky-tacky. Players who take steps before dribbling in the back-court (which is always overlooked by the ref) would get called. Some fans would like this, and it would require the players to be much more on-point, but could end up being a lot more fair in certain regards than humans.

[Old Man Game]

I'm 100% in favor of introducing machines into the element to eliminate some of the subjectivity and no longer be influenced by home court advantage and a player's superstar status etc. Players will adjust. We've seen it. In the Olympics players don't get the same whistle that they do in the NBA and they figure it out and play.

[NBARocks]

if it slows the game down, the league would just have to adjust the rules so the game isn't unnecessarily bogged down.

but i think the ref union would have something to say about machines taking their jobs, and it would eventually happen. in the next decade or so, most jobs would be automated. this is a reality and something people should expect. in a highly profit-driven world, corporations lean towards automation naturally. just like jobs being sent offshore now, in the future, machines would just do our jobs. they don't complain, they don't form unions, they don't ask for benefits, they don't get sick - they're the perfect slaves! i know every CEO would love to have their entire work force automated.

[quatin]

Having the tech call out of bounds will be a huge step. There's only 3 refs on the floor and it's hard enough to just watch the players for fouls.

[Infinite Llamas]

Just replace the refs altogether with Wall-E's...Nobody can ever get mad/curse at Wall-E.