Teamwork among NBA referees: An analysis of three-person officiating mechanics and decision-making accuracy

This study examined teamwork among National Basketball Association (NBA) referees, focusing on three-person officiating (3PO) mechanics and the association between accuracy and secondary coverage area decisions. We relied on four seasons of Last Two Minute (L2M) reports to sample 498 correct and 513 erroneous calls. Each correct and erroneous call was then classified to either originating from within the referee's primary coverage area or originating from his secondary coverage area as prescribed by NBA regulations. We also analyzed the distribution of calls among the three officiating roles on the court: Lead, Trail, and Slot (Center). The results indicate a significant association between accuracy and teamwork: in correct calls, secondary coverage areas decisions occurred in 16.9% of cases, whereas in erroneous calls this rate increased to 25.0% (p < 0.01). Further, the findings underscore the importance of coordination between referees, particularly adherence to prescribed coverage areas. Future studies should examine how variations in referees’ positioning and viewing angles within and between coverage areas may influence teamwork dynamics and decision accuracy.