When will NBA referees start wearing headsets during live play?

NBA referees will begin wearing headsets with earpieces and microphones during live play starting Tuesday, January 21st, 2026.

How long will the NBA referee headset test continue?

The NBA's test phase for referees wearing headsets during live play is scheduled to run through February 12th, 2026.

What other sports leagues use similar referee headsets?

Similar headset technology is also used by referees in the NFL, FIFA, and top soccer leagues in England and Germany, as well as Major League Soccer.

Home / Sports / NBA Referees Get Live-Play Headset Upgrade

NBA Referees Get Live-Play Headset Upgrade

20 Jan

•

Summary

Referees will wear earpieces during live play starting Tuesday.
The test phase runs until February 12th.
Similar tech is used in NFL, FIFA, and other soccer leagues.

NBA Referees Get Live-Play Headset Upgrade

NBA referees are set to begin a new phase of headset testing, allowing them to wear earpieces and microphones throughout live game play. This initiative, starting Tuesday, aims to enhance real-time communication between officials and the replay center.

The league has informed teams that this phase will continue until February 12th, just before the All-Star break. Previous testing phases involved using headsets only during stoppages, but this new stage integrates them directly into live action to improve officiating accuracy and game flow.

This advanced communication technology is not new to the sports world, with similar systems being utilized by the NFL, FIFA, and top soccer leagues in England and Germany. The NBA has been evaluating this technology since 2022 across various events.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.