Three-pointer by NBA.

Byline: The Register-Guard

If professional basketball is, as some claim, America's most up-to-date sport, it sure took the National Basketball Association a long time to move into the modern world. But now, thanks to some controversial calls by referees during last season's NBA playoffs, the league has adopted instant replay. It's a belated move, but welcome nonetheless.

Beginning with this year's preseason games, NBA referees will automatically review shots taken at the end of each quarter or overtime period. Referees will also use the technology to review whether a player's foot is on or behind the three-point line, or in or out of bounds, when he shoots. And, finally, instant replay will be used to determine whether the 24-second shot clock or an eight-second backcourt violation has occurred before a shot is taken. Foul calls also will be reviewed, but only to determine whether a player was fouled before time expired - not to determine whether the call was right or wrong.

The NBA becomes the third of the four major American professional sports to adopt instant replay, the others being the National Football League and the National Hockey League. In baseball, the granddaddy of American professional sports, umpires will continue to govern the field of play without technological assistance.

What triggered the NBA's change of heart were some calls by referees during last season's playoffs that telecasts clearly showed were in error.

"As we saw last season, last-second plays sometimes occur in which it is impossible for a human being to determine whether the play took place before time expired," said NBA senior vice president for basketball operations (and former Oregon Duck) Stu Jackson. "In those circumstances, the game officials will now have the use of instant replay to assist them in making the correct call."

In one of last season's playoff games, with 0.7 seconds left on the game clock, the referees decided before the ball was inbounded that no player could catch the ball, turn and shoot in that short of a period of time. In that instance, the shot went in but was waved off. TV replays, however, showed that the shot did get off in time and should have been the game-winner. In two other instances, referees allowed baskets although replays later showed the shots to have been released after time expired.

There is a small catch in the NBA's adoption of instant replay. The reviews by referees using instant replay will be from the game's telecast, but some - not many, but some - games aren't telecast. "We're mulling over that," says Jackson. Good thing.