The league makes a final decision on the use of headsets for umpires ahead of the opener
On Tuesday night, the 2025-26 NBA season is set to begin as The Oklahoma City Thunder hit the floor at home to raise their flag and then host old friend Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. One thing fans noticed during the preseason this year was the fact that some umpires were wearing headsets, which apparently allowed them to communicate with the league’s replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Recently, the league made a decision regarding implementation of those headphones moves into the regular season.
“UPDATE: I’m told the NBA has decided to phase in headsets worn during live game play by game officials throughout the regular season after preseason testing … but not starting with Tuesday’s opening games,” NBA insider Marc Stein reported on X, formerly Twitter.
“The NBA’s current plan calls for headsets to be attached to referees’ uniforms beginning Nov. 1 for in-ear use during immediate replay reviews and other interruptions. If further testing goes as planned, referees would then be equipped with the headsets during a live game in January,” he added.
Officiating has been a huge topic of discussion among NBA fans in recent years, especially in an era where many of the game’s stars, including reigning MVP and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, rely heavily on getting to the free throw line to be effective.
The NBA recently decided to withdraw the “high five” exception for shooting fouls, meaning hand contact, even after the ball has been released, will result in free throws for the shooting team.
Either way, the Thunder and Rockets will kick off the NBA season on Tuesday night at 7:30 PM ET from Oklahoma City, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors at 10 PM ET.
2025-10-21 17:13:00
