Skip to article
The Sporting Page Real Analysis. Not Corporate

NBA

NBA to test smart basketballs and referee wearables in preseason

Connected balls will gather research data while referees test wrist devices for communication with the Replay Center.

By TSP Staff
A Wilson NBA basketball resting on a red court surface.
A Wilson NBA basketball in the photograph accompanying NBA.com’s technology report. The image does not establish whether this ball contains a sensor. · Credit: Getty Images, via NBA.com

The NBA will test smart basketballs and wrist devices for referees in selected preseason games, the league announced Monday, October 5.

The connected Wilson balls will collect information for research into future officiating models. That data will not influence calls during the exhibition games, NBA Communications said in its announcement.

Referees will use the wrist devices to contact the Replay Center about potential reviews, scoring corrections and clock problems.

The wearable trial follows a pilot during the 2026 Summer League. The league said that test will not continue into the 2026-27 regular season.

Sources and notes

  1. NBA Communications, original October 5 announcement: https://x.com/NBAPR/status/2107180310613905740
  2. NBA.com, source of the illustrative Wilson basketball photograph: https://www.nba.com/news/nba-experiments-with-smart-basketballs-wrist-wearables