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Basketball is a sport that is constantly evolving, with rule changes and additions being made to improve the flow and excitement of the game. One such development is the introduction of the coach's challenge, which allows coaches to dispute calls made by officials. This challenge has been adopted by the NBA and is being experimented with in college basketball, signalling a shift towards a more review-oriented approach in basketball. The coach's challenge adds a layer of strategic depth to the game, giving coaches a tool to potentially alter the course of a match. With the challenge, coaches can now influence the outcome by triggering instant replay reviews, but it also comes with strategic trade-offs, such as the loss of timeouts. This evolution in basketball rules is an exciting development, offering new dimensions to the sport and showcasing the game's adaptability to remain engaging and dynamic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of challenges | 2 |
| When to challenge | During the last two minutes of the game |
| When to initiate a challenge | Within 30 seconds from the start of the timeout |
| Challenge criteria | Out-of-bounds calls, foul calls |
| Flopping | Cannot be reviewed using the Coach's Challenge |
| Flopping penalty | Non-unsportsmanlike technical |
| Successful challenge | Retain timeout and awarded a second challenge |
| Unsuccessful challenge | Lose challenge and timeout |
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What You'll Learn
Coach's challenges in the NBA
The NBA Coach's Challenge was introduced in 2019, allowing head coaches to trigger one instant replay review per game. This could be used to review a called foul, an out-of-bounds violation, or a goaltending/basket interference violation. Each team has one challenge per game, regardless of whether it is successful. To initiate a challenge, a team must call a legal timeout, and the coach must signal a challenge by twirling a finger towards the referees.
In the 2023-24 season, the NBA approved rule changes to the Coach's Challenge. Coaches who successfully challenge a call are awarded a second challenge for future use. This rule change was well-received, as it allows for the correction of bad calls early in the game, which could have significant repercussions later on. However, if the first challenge is unsuccessful, the coach loses the challenge along with the timeout and will not receive a second one. Additionally, the timeout used for the first challenge is still lost, even if it is successful, and a coach must have another timeout available to use their second challenge.
The success rate of Coach's Challenges has improved since the rule was first implemented. During the first year, the overall success rate was 44%, but this rose to 63% during the 2024-25 regular season. Coaches have become more strategic in their use of challenges, both in terms of the types of plays challenged and how quickly they can access replays. However, there is still variation among coaches in their success rates and how often they challenge. Some coaches, like Erik Spoelstra, are more conservative in their use of challenges, while others, like Will Hardy and Mark Daigneault, have lower success rates but have overturned more plays.
Most coaches tend to wait until the fourth quarter to use their challenges, with only 12% of challenges issued in the first quarter compared to 39% in the fourth. While head coaches receive most of the credit or blame, they are often most successful when they rely on assistants or video coordinators who can quickly assess replays and provide input.
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Flopping penalties
Flopping is an intentional fall or stagger by a basketball player, after little or no physical contact by an opponent, to induce an official to call a personal foul on the opponent. The move is sometimes referred to as "acting" and is considered unsportsmanlike. Flopping is not easy to do effectively, as it requires drawing contact to induce a foul, and sometimes results in the opposite effect—a foul called on the defensive player for making excessive contact.
The National Federation of State High School Associations basketball rule 10.6.f of 2012–13 defines "faking being fouled" as unsportsmanlike conduct subject to penalty of a technical foul. In 2013, the NBA also began regulating flopping, with players first receiving a warning, followed by fines in increments of $5,000 for each successive flop during the season. Fines would increase to $30,000 for a fifth offense, when a suspension would also be considered.
In the 2023-24 season, the NBA approved rule changes that included in-game flopping penalties. Players who flop will be given a non-unsportsmanlike technical, which will not count as a personal foul or lead to ejection. However, one source notes that these penalties have become rare, with the league instead focusing on eliminating the most egregious acts of flopping.
It is worth noting that a flopping call cannot be reviewed using the Coach's Challenge, which was expanded in the same 2023-24 season rule changes. However, a referee could call a flop if noticed during a review for other actions.
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College basketball challenges
Another notable challenge is the SEC–Big East Challenge, which was held from 2007 to 2012. This challenge also inspired other conferences to form similar partnerships, such as the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series, the Mountain West–Missouri Valley Challenge, and the Gavitt Tipoff Games between the Big East and Big Ten. These challenges provide an opportunity for teams from different conferences to compete and showcase their skills early in the season.
In addition to these inter-conference challenges, there are also exempt multiple-team events (MTEs) in college basketball. These are tournaments or showcases that feature multiple teams from different conferences and provide an opportunity for teams to face off in a more structured format. MTEs can be a great way for teams to gain exposure and test their skills against a variety of opponents early in the season.
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Replay reviews
In the 2023-24 season, the NBA approved an expansion of the Coach's Challenge rule. This meant that if a coach's first challenge was successful, they would be awarded a second challenge. However, there was a catch to this new rule: a team must have a timeout to call for a challenge, and this timeout would be lost even if the first challenge was successful. This change was designed to help eliminate bad calls early in the game that could have significant repercussions later on.
Previously, coaches could not challenge out-of-bounds calls in the final two minutes of a game as the referees could review these on their own. However, in 2021, this rule was changed, allowing coaches to challenge these calls in the last two minutes of the game.
In the 2024-25 season, the NBA Board of Governors approved a further expansion of the Coach's Challenge rule, allowing for an increased use of instant replay when reviewing out-of-bounds violations. With this new ruling, if instant replay is triggered by a Coach's Challenge, on-court officials and the Replay Centre can review the video of the play and determine whether a foul should have been called in relation to the violation. This means that a Coach's Challenge for an out-of-bounds call review could result in a previously missed or uncalled foul being assessed.
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Timeouts
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), teams are allowed seven charged timeouts during regulation play. Each timeout is 75 seconds long. Each team is limited to no more than four timeouts in the fourth period. In overtime periods, each team is allowed two timeouts. There must be two mandatory timeouts in each period. If neither team has taken a timeout before 6:59 of the period, the official scorer must take one and charge it to the home team. If no subsequent timeouts are taken before 2:59, the official scorer must take another and charge it to the team not previously charged.
The NBA also has rules regarding when timeouts can be called. A request for a timeout can only be granted when the ball is dead or in control of the team making the request. If a request for a timeout is made with none remaining, the offending team is assessed a technical foul and loses possession if the referees approve that request. If not, no penalty is assessed. Teams can also advance the ball to the frontcourt after a timeout in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime. Additionally, if a timeout is charged to the offensive team during the last two minutes of the fourth period or overtime, and certain conditions are met, the team can choose to put the ball into play at the 28' hash mark in the frontcourt or at the designated spot out-of-bounds.
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Frequently asked questions
Coaches are allowed to make one challenge per game. If their first challenge is successful, they get a second challenge.
To challenge a call, the coach must first signal for a challenge by using the instant replay signal toward the game officials. They must then notify the game officials of the specific event that is being challenged.
If a coach's challenge is unsuccessful, they lose the challenge along with the timeout and will not get a second one.
No, there are specific windows of time within which a challenge must be made. For example, if the final ruling on a play is unknown, the team must challenge within 30 seconds of being notified of the ruling.
