The NBA has a new officiating point of emphasis for the 2026-27 season.
In a video shared by NBA Official on Tuesday, Monty McCutchen, the senior vice president of referee development and training, explained that the league will keep a closer eye on how offensive players use their off-arm.
The video illustrates the difference between a legal use of the off-arm and an illegal push-off.
Ex-Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown was used as an example of an illegal push-off.
“This contact by Brown is forceful. It is not just firming up, and the offensive foul was correctly called by the slot official,” McCutchen explained.
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That doesn’t mean players can no longer use their off-arm. Rather, the NBA is telling officials to more closely monitor offensive players who forcefully extend their arms and push defenders to create space.
Ironically, the NBA used Paul George, who the Celtics acquired as part of the Brown trade, as an example of how players can legally use their off-arm.
“George does not fully extend his off arm, nor does he push off his legal defender, Sam Hauser, in a forceful manner,” McCutchen said in the video. “Instead, George uses his arm to feel for his opponent and, in doing so, he does not initiate any contact that would be deemed illegal.”
Here’s the full video:
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
The NBA is also going to emphasize straight-line pathway plays — basically, when a defender impedes an offensive player’s straight-line path — and freedom of movement around screens, on the perimeter and in the post.
Don’t be surprised if it takes some NBA stars a while to adjust to the new points of emphasis.
