Sep 5, 2007, 18:09 GMT
New York, NY - The NBA Board of Governors approved the use of television replays to review severe flagrant fouls and player altercations beginning with the 2007-08 season, the league announced on Wednesday.
The board approved the new rule in a vote last week after the NBA competition committee, which includes a member of the players union and a representative from each of the league's 30 clubs, made the recommendation.
Previously, replays were consulted solely to determine if shots made in the final seconds of a quarter were launched before time had expired.
The use of replay in the case of flagrant fouls was considered important because of the serious consequences of a player committing such a foul, which results in an ejection.
Also, since referees' first priority is ending an altercation rather than trying to follow who attacked whom in an altercation, they might miss a punch or other similar action committed by a player that might deserve an ejection.
As a result, referees will now use replays to assist in sorting out penalties after brawls have been halted.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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