NBA Replay Center reduces review time to 42 seconds

NEW YORK – The new state-of-the-art NBA Replay Center, which was unveiled at the start of the 2014-15 NBA season and created to enhance the performance of NBA referees, reduced the average time of reviews by more than 50 percent compared to the previous season.

Final statistics for the regular season included:

  • 1,596 replays were upheld or overturned. 80.8 percent of these calls were upheld (1,289) while 19.2 percent were overturned (307).
  • NBA Replay Center monitored a total of 1,225 games, averaging approximately 1.76 reviews per game.
  • The top two triggers the NBA Replay Center reviewed this season were the two-point/three-point made field goal (623 instances) and end-of-period made field goal (482 instances).
  • 858 live look-ins to the NBA Replay Center from across the country were conducted by the NBA’s national television partners and regional sports networks

The NBA Replay Center provides NBA referees with multiple camera angles on one screen at the same time, ensuring they have the best angles to make a ruling when a play is reviewable.  Located in Secaucus, N.J., the facility is outfitted with 20 replay stations and 94 television monitors and is directly connected to all 29 NBA arenas, streamlining the process of instant replay video review.

When one of the 15 replay circumstances (“triggers”) occurs during a game, on-court officials are able to review the play in question by communicating directly with the NBA Replay Center. The referee crew chief on the court makes the final call.

NBA Replay Center 2014-15 Regular Season Breakdown Trigger and Average Chart

Trigger Frequency Overall Representation Avg. Review Time (seconds)
2pt/3pt 623 29% 32.4
End of Period Made FG 482 22% 22.5
Foul-Flagrant Criteria 265 12% 57.9
Out of Bounds            212 10% 75.6
Foul-Clear Path Criteria 205 9% 47.8
Shot Clock Violation 135 6% 37.2
Off-Ball Foul Timing 55 3% 53.2
Last Second Foul 44 2% 44
Player Altercation 44 2% 84.3
Correct FT Shooter   32 1% 32.8
Clock Malfunction     20 1% 58.2
Goaltending/Basket Interference 19 1% 62.3
Shot Clock Reset 18 1% 79
Restricted Area 8 0% 57
Six Players on the court        0 0%
Total 2162