NBA Looks to Hawk-Eye-Style AI to Cut Down Replay Delays
The NBA plans to automate out-of-bounds decisions with AI similar to tennis’ Hawk-Eye, letting referees focus on fouls and contact.
NBA to use AI for out-of-bounds calls, says Commissioner Adam Silver...
The NBA plans to roll out AI for handling certain on-court decisions, according to Commissioner Adam Silver. The technology will automate calls like out-of-bounds plays to help speed up the pace of games and cut down on arguments over who gets the ball.
Silver likened the approach to tennis’ Hawk-Eye system, which uses electronic tracking to instantly judge whether a ball lands in or out of bounds.
“We're going to move to a system like that where that whole category of calls will be automatic,” Silver said on ESPN's the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday.
“It's going to be Laker ball, Knick ball, whatever it is. Those calls will be done by an AI, automated system with cameras lined around the court.”
The system would deliver instant rulings on those plays, freeing referees to concentrate on contact and foul calls.
“It will take all those so-called objective calls out of the hands of the referees,” he said. “You won't have to deal with challenges on those calls.”
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Silver didn’t give a specific date for when the AI system would launch, but said it should happen “fairly quickly.”
The league has been using replay reviews and centralized calls more often to make officiating more accurate. The trade-off is that those reviews often slow the game down.
According to Silver, referees will still play a key role in judging physical contact, since that requires human judgment to decide if a player was impeded.
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