NBA Tests One Free Throw Rule at Summer League
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- Summer leagues in Northern California, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas will host NBA trials of two new features this month: the one free throw rule and a connected basketball with an embedded sensor.
- The one free throw rule awards a single free throw worth the same total points as the 1, 2, or 3 free throws it would normally replace; standard rules return in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and in overtime.
- The NBA G League has used the one free throw rule since the 2019-20 season to improve game flow, making the NBA summer trial the format's biggest stage yet.
- The connected basketball's sensor detects contact with the ball, and the NBA says the data will support future officiating applications such as last-touch out-of-bounds calls, with no change to the ball's weight, feel, or playability.
- Both features were discussed at a recent Competition Committee meeting, with the California Classic tipping off the summer slate on Friday.
Why it matters: The free throw rule replaces every one-, two-, or three-shot foul with a single attempt — a format the G League has used since 2019-20 to speed game flow. The sensor ball is the league's clearest signal yet that it's exploring technology-assisted officiating on contested plays like last-touch boundaries.
