NBA approves 3 rules for when instant replay may be used

NBA Board of Governors approves 5 rule changes altogether for upcoming 2013-14 season

LAS VEGAS ā€“ The NBA Board of Governors approved five rules changes on Thursday for the upcoming 2013-14 season.

The league announced Thursday that instant replay may now be used when reviewing a block or charge play to determine whether the defender was inside or outside the restricted area.

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Officials will now be permitted to reverse a charge call, or uphold a blocking call, when the defender was outside the restricted area but was not set when the offensive player began his upward shooting motion.

Instant replay may also be used to determine whether an off-ball foul occurred before or after a player has started his shooting motion on a successful shot attempt, or before or after the ball was released on a throw-in.

Finally, officials said instant replay may be used now during the review of any instant replay situation to permit the officials to assess the appropriate penalties of any unsportsmanlike and unnecessary acts, such as flagrant fouls, that are observed during the instant replay reviews.

Besides rules involving instant replay, on clear path to the basket fouls, it will no longer be considered a clear path foul if at any point before the foul is committed, the defender who commits the foul is positioned ahead of the offensive player in the frontcourt.

Finally, a team on offense will lose possession if its player leaves the floor and does not immediately return to the floor, unless he is injured, attempting to save the ball or in other extenuating circumstances.

Officials said each of these rules were recommended by the NBA's Competition Committee at its meeting on June 12.