D-League introduces coach’s challenges

The D-League is more than a proving ground for players, coaches, and officials to show that they belong on basketball’s biggest stage. It’s also quickly becoming an experimental platform for the big league, a place to test out new ideas and implement them into game situations to see how that might fare at the highest level.

According to sources, D-League coaches will receive one challenge in regulation, if the challenge is successful the team will be allowed an additional challenge with a maximum of two challenges. Teams will also be granted one challenge in each overtime period, and if successful will be issued another challenge, once again with a maximum of two challenges. It is also important to note that there will be no carry-over of any unused challenge.

Furthermore, coaches will need to call a timeout (full or 30 second) to challenge then ‘twirl their finger’ to indicate the challenge. Plays that can be challenged include personal fouls, but not flopping calls. Technical fouls can’t be challenged as well. This also is not a new idea for the league. Former commissioner David Stern said in 2011 that the NBA had been considering this option.

“We might have one person whose job it is to keep the headphones on and always watch. And you might let a coach throw the flag in the last two minutes. We’re striving for accuracy.”