The officiating of the NBA’s regular season had, a couple of years ago, reached a level of extreme laxity. Between defenders who were being called for a foul simply for existing and attackers who felt they had a free pass to do whatever they wanted without any whistles, the balance had shifted noticeably toward one side of the court. And after several years of trying to emphasize certain aspects, this year the league will focus on the famous off-hand.
This term refers to the hand with which the attacker is not dribbling the ball, which is often used to, in a way that contravenes the rules, create separation from the defender. By pushing, attackers have grown accustomed to generating shots in which the other player cannot do anything to contest, and the league has concluded that the moment has come when intervention is necessary.
See below for Part 1 of the 2026-27 Points of Emphasis video (narrated by SVP, Head of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutchen), which provides examples and guidance regarding Off-Arm Push Offs by Offensive Players and Freedom of Movement – Screens: pic.twitter.com/zMMmOK3Kxq
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) September 29, 2026
For that reason, this has been one of the emphasis points communicated to referees, whom they have asked to apply it more rigorously. And while the attacker can use this arm to create distance or even to protect his position, using it with force to shove away the defender provides a tremendous advantage to the ball handler, generating situations in which the defense cannot do anything. And that is precisely what they seek to fix.
“We have to ensure that the defender is not at a disadvantage because the attacker is allowed to perform illegal actions,” stated Monty McCutchen, vice president of referee development and training for the NBA. “I think we can do a better job in that regard.”
It is not as if these actions are never called, but the truth is that many times it seems to be called only when the defender sells the contact, exaggerates it, or even falls to the floor to illustrate what occurred. And an ecosystem in which a player feels that flopping is the only path to fair officiating is not sustainable. Therefore, anything that helps restore balance in the way the game is officiated is good news.
Yet, good news whose confirmation will have to wait. The NBA unveils these emphasis points every summer, but their implementation once the season begins ends up being questionable on more than one occasion. We will have to wait for the regular season to begin to see if, indeed, the defenses end up being a bit more protected.
Other aspects to address
These actions have not, however, been the only emphasis regarding officiating. The use of the arms by attackers will also be watched more closely when setting screens, since often the player does this to land a light push on the defender and further complicate his attempt to pursue the ball handler. This mainly occurs on ghost screens, where the player pretends to set a screen and, in many cases, takes the opportunity to contact the defender before moving away, altering his position and creating an illegal advantage.
See below for Part 2 of the 2026-27 Points of Emphasis video (narrated by SVP, Head of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutchen), which provides examples and guidance regarding Freedom of Movement – Perimeter & Post and Straight-Line Pathway Plays: pic.twitter.com/hcEjI3RGTN
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) September 29, 2026
Finally, there will also be an emphasis on allowing freedom of movement for opponents, both by defenders and by attackers, aiming to penalize grabs and pushes during off-ball movements more frequently. It has also been highlighted that the defender should move in parallel to the attacker when he is driving straight toward the basket, never toward him in such a way that, without having first occupied the space, he is forced to deviate from his path to the rim.
