NBA's Smart Ball Could End Some of Basketball's Most Frustrating Disputes as Soon as 2027

The NBA is testing a basketball that could help referees settle difficult calls, with commissioner Adam Silver saying it could be used in official games as soon as 2027. A tiny sensor is designed to track movement and spin, which the league hopes could help officials determine who touched the ball last.

Speaking to CNBC's Contessa Brewer, Silver said: 'We're experimenting with putting a small chip in the ball that weighs roughly a gram.' The league commissioner said the NBA could use it for officiating as soon as next year, although that remains a possibility rather than a confirmed launch date.

A Sensor Built to Catch the Touches Cameras Miss

Developed with official basketball supplier Wilson, the ball houses a 1-gram Bluetooth sensor inside its air valve. It records movement, acceleration and changes in spin or trajectory. That information could help settle out-of-bounds disputes when a player's body blocks a replay camera's view or a touch is too slight to make clear on video.

For example, a defender's fingertips might change the ball's spin as it crosses the sideline. If the sensor can reliably identify that change, it could help officials determine who touched the ball last. However, the NBA has not reported a real-game call settled by the technology, and Silver has not shared accuracy figures.

The league is also examining whether trajectory data could help with other decisions, including goaltending or whether a defender touched a shot. These remain possibilities yet to be proven in live officiating.

Testing Has Not Affected Referees' Decisions

The balls have been trialled at Summer League and in selected preseason games. The league said the data could support future officiating applications, including last-touch out-of-bounds calls, if testing proves successful. Data from those trials has been restricted to research and has not been used to make officiating calls.

Silver said players tested chipped and standard basketballs and 'nobody could tell the difference'. The sensor weighs about one gram, a small addition to a standard basketball weighing roughly 620 grams.

That matters because players may resist a technology that changes the ball's feel or handling. But an imperceptible sensor is only part of the challenge: officials would also need confidence that its readings are accurate and useful in fast-moving games.

Live Use Could Begin in 2027

Silver said the NBA could introduce the smart ball for officiating as soon as 2027. The league has not announced a firm deployment date, and trials so far have gathered data for research rather than allowing the sensor to guide live calls.

The aim is to give officials another source of information when video cannot clearly establish what happened. If further testing shows the data can be trusted, the technology could help resolve close out-of-bounds decisions without relying entirely on obstructed camera angles.

Silver also described a possible future use for recreational players: analysing shooting angles, spin and trajectory. He said such a consumer application could be a few years away, while a commercial launch by Wilson remains unconfirmed.

Wilson, the NBA's official basketball supplier, has previously developed sensor-equipped balls, and says they do not change how the ball feels or plays.