NBA to Have Vote on Four Potential Rule Changes

Today in Las Vegas, the NBA Board of Governors is meeting, with a portion of the meeting being comprised of votes on a number of potential rule changes, most of which concern the use of instant replay during games.

The first item up for vote is the use of replay for all flagrant foul calls to make sure that a hard foul is or is not intentional and worthy of the flagrant designation. This would be especially useful in the playoffs, where "hard playoff fouls"  are violent and can swing the outcome of a game.

Second on the docket is to use replay to look into goaltending late in games. The split second nature of whether the ball was on its way down towards the rim, on its way up, hit the glass before a player swatted it, or any other number of variable factors make this worth giving the green light.

Also in the category of instant replay is the ability for referees to look at charges/blocking fouls on replay late in games. With a group of massive bodies packed into a confined space, this call is the hardest to make in all of sports as far as I'm concerned given how easy it is for a ref to have their view compromised by a player in their way. Anything that can help them get it right is a plus.

Finally, the Board of Governors will vote on whether or not to let teams choose where, baseline or sideline, they inbound the basketball following a timeout.

The NBA has a chance to do something that Major League Baseball refuses to do: get more calls right with expanded use of instant replay. I just hope they do the right thing and vote yes to replay on all of the above.