LAS VEGAS The Board of Governors on Thursday voted to expand the use of instant replay beginning this season and indicated that advertisements on jerseys, a revolutionary idea for the league, will be coming as soon as 2013-14.
The board an owner from all 30 teams or someone on their behalf approved replays on three fronts, without vote totals being released:
Referees will call Flagrant on the court and immediately use the courtside television screen to determine whether the foul was Flagrant 1, Flagrant 2 or actually a common foul. Previously, any changes were made following a review by the league office at least a day later.
Referees will use replays in the final two minutes of regulation and all overtime to verify block/charge fouls that involve whether a player is in the restricted area.
Referees will use replays in the final two minutes of regulation and all overtime to review goaltending calls. Non-calls will not be reviewed because that would require stopping play.
While no vote was taken on putting advertisements on jerseys for the first time, the discussion in the ballroom inside the Encore hotel on the Strip showed a strong preference to move forward, deputy commissioner Adam Silver said. The final decision will likely come in an e-mail vote in September and be implemented for 2013-14, giving teams the chance to line up sponsors and uniform makers the time to add the patch of 2 ½ inches-by-2 ½ inches just above the heart.
My sense is that every team would do this in some form, Silver said, indicating the mass support for the idea that has been years in coming, not to mention the mass support for the $100 million annually he estimates would be generated with the new revenue stream.
Also Thursday, commissioner David Stern said the sale of the Grizzlies from Michael Heisley to Robert Pera is proceeding and should be finalized in the next couple months.
