In this week’s article I am going to discuss the highly discussed concept of video evidence and the use of replays during games.

Way back, late in September 2004, I devoted a whole article to bring forth the news, and also discuss, the Italian Basketball League Federation’s (Lega Basket) decision to allow the use of TV replays during games.

At that time, I had written that such an issue had been discussed in length in the football world and postponement has been the order of the day for a number of times. However it became a reality in Italian basketball.

In 2004, the Lega Basket rules that the use of TV replays will not be used to do away with the referee’s discretion in judging fouls and/or violations but will be used to solve certain technical matters with the use of technology (readers may remember that last year’s Italian league title was eventually decided through the use of video replays on a last second shot that was decided to be valid).

For example, replays could be used to determine if a shot was released after the end of a game/quarter or a 24 second horn or if the shooter’s foot was behind or on the 3 point line. These are situations which could result very influential on the result of a close game.

The use of instant replays was first launched in the USA back in 1986 by the NFL (American Football) who was then followed shortly afterwards by the NBA (basketball). The European break-away league, ULEB, also adopted some use earlier this decade.

Up till now the use of replays has not destroyed the spirit of the game but only helped to guarantee the best possible fairness as evident mistakes were corrected and all teams had an equal right to demand justice.

Earlier last month, FIBA announced officially that it has decided, after a FIBA Central Board meeting in Hong Kong, to accept the use of television images for verification of last-second shots.

The precise text in the new FIBA rules, which will be valid as of October 2006, reads: “The referee may use technical equipment to determine on a last shot made at the end of each period or extra period, whether the ball has or has not left the player’s hand(s) within the playing time.”

It is the first time in history that FIBA has allowed the use of television images to give the referees the option to verify their decision whether last second shots have been made within regular playing time.

Personally I believe that, if used correctly, instant replays could be very beneficial. Locally we can never dream, as things stand, of applying instant replays in any sport unless major capital expenditures are done to equip our stadia with the latest technology.

Whilst speaking of replays and last second decisions, one has to mention a curious incident that occurred in Italy where there is a Maltese connection. I am referring to women’s basketball where last Monday the semifinal play-off games were staged.

Priolo are coached by Santino Coppa (who is also Malta’s national team coach) and have Maltese centre Josephine Grima in the squad. Some basketball enthusiasts may have seen the semifinal between Priolo and Faenza live on digital satellite TV.

There was a lot of commotion at the end of the game when with the score tied at 68-68 after a basket by Priolo’s Cuban player, Seino, just ten seconds from the end (Priolo were leading by 7 just two minutes from the end, 62-55, after a technical foul called on Faenza’s coach, Giampiero Ticchi), Faenza opted (what seemed a bad decision) for a quick shot four seconds from the end and missed the target. Priolo tried a quick transition and their player Palie was contacted illegally in midcourt by Faenza’s Arnetoli with the siren sounding.

The problem arose because one referee, Di Giambattista, signaled the foul whilst his colleague, Scrima, signaled for the end of the game. Protests ensued form both sides for obvious and diverse reasons. The referees went to discuss the incident with the officials’ table and subsequently decided to go with the foul to have occurred prior to the siren and thus Priolo’s French player Palie had two free throws which she converted to place Priolo in the final against Schio (incidentally Coppa was, for the only time outside Priolo, with Schio for a year two seasons ago).

Whoever watched the game could see great protests by the Faenza team and club officials after the match as they believed that the foul occurred after the siren. In fact the Italian federation also sanctioned the team’s coach for three games and three players for a game each for these protests.

It would have surely been more beneficial for the referees had there been video replays at the end of this match.

As for the Maltese player Josephine Grima, she did not play in this semifinal series. Grima has been a bench player but she did have quite some playing minutes in the quarterfinal series against Maddaloni which Priolo won easily 2-0 with two big convincing wins of 83-49 and then 99-49.

Grima had 6 points in the first game and then was a protagonist in the second match when she netted 26 points in Priolo’s easy (as reported) win. Priolo had finished the regular season in the second spot of the league table after grabbing two late victories in the last two days of competition against Vicenza (71-54, one point for Grima) and Ribera (93-57, two points for Grima). The win against the latter was a bit of vengeance after Ribera had ousted Priolo from the semifinals of the Coppa Italia just a week before.