The NBA is putting offensive push-offs and freedom of movement under a brighter spotlight for the 2026-27 season.
In its annual officiating Points of Emphasis, the league instructed referees to pay closer attention to several forms of contact that can create an unfair advantage, including offensive players using their off-arm to shove defenders away, screeners extending their arms to impede movement and defenders holding or bumping players away from the ball.
One of the clearest areas of focus involves the off-arm of the ballhandler. The league is not banning all contact with the free arm. Players can still use it to feel where a defender is or to maintain their own position. The line is crossed when the arm is used forcefully, especially when it fully extends and pushes a defender backward or off balance to create separation.
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
Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s senior vice president of referee development and training, explained that officials are being asked to distinguish between legal contact and actions that materially disadvantage the defender. The league’s examples included situations where a scorer uses the forearm or hand to create room before a shot or drive.
Screens are another major point of emphasis.
The NBA wants officials to penalize screeners who go beyond establishing legal position and instead use their arms to hold, redirect or push defenders off their intended path. That includes actions in which a screener extends beyond the natural space of the body to help free a teammate.
The league is also reinforcing freedom-of-movement rules away from the ball.
Defenders who grab, hold or bump offensive players on the perimeter or in the post will be more closely scrutinized, particularly when that contact prevents a cutter from reaching the basket or keeps a post player from establishing position.
See below for Part 2 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 Freedom of Movement – Perimeter & Post and Straight-Line Pathway Plays: pic.twitter.com/hcEjI3RGTN
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) September 29, 2026
Straight-line drives are part of the same emphasis.
When an offensive player has established a direct path toward the basket, defenders cannot simply move into that path late and use their body to force the ballhandler off course. At the same time, offensive players can also be penalized if they deliberately deviate from their line in order to initiate illegal contact.
