Sports · Basketball · published 2026-10-15 · via Sports Illustrated

NBA Explores Smart Basketball to Help Referees

The NBA is considering using a smart basketball, developed with Wilson, to assist referees beginning in 2027. The ball contains a roughly one-gram Bluetooth sensor that records movement, rotation and changes in trajectory, and it has been tested in the G League, Summer League and some preseason games without affecting officiating decisions so far. The league says the technology would serve as additional review evidence rather than replace referees, and blind tests found players could not detect the sensor.

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The proposed ball, created with Wilson, carries a Bluetooth chip weighing about one gram. Since the full ball is roughly 620 grams, the device accounts for under 0.2 percent of its mass. Tests have taken place in the G League, Summer League and a few exhibition contests, with data collected only for study and not used to change calls.

Blind trials found players could not tell chipped balls from standard ones, according to Commissioner Adam Silver. Possible officiating help includes out-of-bounds reviews, where slight rotation changes might reveal a touch before the line. The league also tested referee wrist devices for replay-center communication. A prior 2006-

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This summary is Al-enhanced to contain extended analysis and broader social context. The original is {NAME); the linked article is the authoritative source. Original headline: “Del balón que lastimó a los jugadores al balón con chip: la NBA prepara su próxima revolución.” Browse more stories.