Expanded use of replay a smart move for the NBA

Thanks to new rules expanding the usage of instant replay, referees can view an entire altercation to see who was the instigator. AP

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In a significant step forward in embracing readily available technology as a tool in the officiating of its games, the NBA Board of Governors this week approved the use of instant replay by referees in two specific circumstances.

A third would have been nice.

The refs already have been empowered to check out replays of last-second shots at the end of periods to make sure that the shooters did, in fact, beat the clock. Now they will review all of their flagrant 2 foul calls to make sure the punishment -- which includes ejection from the game -- fits the crime. Also, in the aftermath of an altercation, the referees will be permitted to go to the videotape in search of punches, gestures, thrown water bottles, really dirty looks or other unsportsmanlike conduct that might have been missed while the guys with whistles were trying to keep the peace.

Now if only the Governors would add one more situation that would require an immediate and mandatory rewinding of the game footage, we'd be ready to go for 2007-08: Review every call in the last two minutes of every game in which the score is within one possession of the point spread or the over/under line, as determined by Las Vegas sports books at tipoff.

Clumsy? Unwieldy? Way too self-conscious and likely to draw attention to an unsavory topic the NBA would rather have disappear? Absolutely. And clearly, we jest.

But there was a definite foot-in-the-door feeling to the move announced from league headquarters this week. A sense that, in the wake of the Tim Donaghy gambling scandal, more monitoring is better than less, and if the referees themselves are involved, all the better.

(Whew, had to be careful there not to type bettor.)

This is about growing the comfort zones, of both the officials -- with what historically might have been viewed as some sort of threat or second-guess -- and of the NBA's fan base -- with enough checks and balances going forward to make sure that "one rogue criminal,'' if that indeed is what Donaghy was, will not have undue influence on the integrity of a game.

Look, even if added solely for the two relatively rare circumstances cited -- and that might be all the NBA is willing to cop to, to downplay this summer's mess -- using instant replay was worth doing. Virtually every regular-season and postseason game is televised either for commercial broadcast or for scouting purposes, so getting a second, third or fourth look at a given play or skirmish is easy enough.

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