The NBA Thursday announced the following rule changes for the 2013-2014 season regarding video review and other rules: 

  • When reviewing a block/charge play to determine whether the defender was inside or outside the restricted area, officials will now be permitted to reverse a charge call, or uphold a blocking call, when the defender was outside the restricted area but was not set when the offensive player began his upward shooting motion.
  • To determine whether an off-ball foul occurred before or after a player has started his shooting motion on a successful shot attempt, or before or after the ball was released on a throw-in.
  • During the review of any instant replay situation to permit the officials to assess the appropriate penalties of any unsportsmanlike and unnecessary acts (e.g. flagrant fouls) that are observed during the instant replay reviews.
Additional rules modifications:

  • On clear path to the basket fouls, it will no longer be considered a clear path foul if at any point before the foul is committed, the defender who commits the foul is positioned ahead of the offensive player in the frontcourt. 
  • A team on offense will lose possession if its player leaves the floor and does not immediately return to the floor, unless he is injured, attempting to save the ball or in other extenuating circumstances.

That last replay rule is big. So if they go to review a flagrant foul, they can now assess technicals for things that started the ruckus. That's a big deal. 

The offensive-player-out-of-bounds trick is something that George Karl used extensively last season, positioning Kosta Koufos and Kenneth Faried out of bounds on the baseline to draw defenders away and allow for more dribble penetration inside, then allowing the player to attack the glass for the putback. Hard to see why this rule needed to be added, but there it is. 

The clear path foul rule is an obvious adjustment that makes sense. Before if the foul occurred when the defender was behind the player, even if he was initially in front of him, it was a clear-path. Now once the defender gets ahead, that's eliminated. It'll cut down on the clear path fouls which were a little excessive last season.