NBA Board of Governors Approve Implementation of Coach's Challenge Starting in 2019-20

Nearly every professional sports league has some sort of rule that allows coaches to challenge a play on the field, so it was only a matter of time before the NBA followed suit.

Last month, it was reported that a new challenge rule could be implemented into the NBA pending approval from the league's Board of Governors. As expected, the new rule was approved and now coaches will be allowed to challenge one call on the court per game, as well as trigger instant replay.

Along with this new rule, coaches will give a signal to the referee if they wish to challenge a call. This extends to whether a shot was a two or three-pointer, a foul called against their team, goaltending, and out-of-bounds violations. The 2019 season is going to be a trial run for the challenge rule, and further decisions on whether the rule will be fully implemented will be discussed after the season.

We see ticky-tacky calls in the NBA almost every game, so giving coaches the ability to challenge these calls could have big ramifications for the league. Coaches will be given the options to challenge a personal foul charged to their team, a called out-of-bounds violation, a goaltending violation or a basket-interference violation.

Could this rule hinder some of the ridiculous flopping we see out of players trying to initiate contact? How will the flow of games be effected? Will the officials benefit from further review of plays or will they still make mistakes? All these questions will surely be answered once the season gets underway. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.