Each year the NBA highlights several points of emphasis for officiating in the season to come. Some of these are reinforcements of rules already in place, perhaps allowed to lax slightly in years past. Others are new reactions to the evolution of the game, making sure sides have an even chance in the face of new techniques and ways to game the system.
Today the league released two videos highlighting their points of emphasis for the 2026-27 season.
The first video, just below, covers arm movement.
Referees will be watching closely for two situations. The first comes when a dribbler uses their off arm to shove away a defender, creating space. The second covers screen-setters who impede the movement of defenders by using their arms to hold or push the opposing player off course. In each case, the point of emphasis appears to be arms extending beyond the natural radius of the body to alter momentum or position of a defender.
The second video concentrates a little more on off-ball movement. The basic idea is that players cannot hold, grab, or bump an opponent in such a way that stops them from going where they were trying to go. An example might be a weak-side defender grabbing an offensive player as the offensive player tries to make a back cut towards the rim. The video also highlights impeding post players before they get into position and a defender using his body to bump a dribbler off of a straight-line drive. Those latter two are interesting, as they are traditionally accepted as smart defense. The gray area in these judgment calls will probably be significant.
Despite the annual hue and cry, there were no updates in the videos regarding enforcing traveling. Maybe next year.
