NBA Tests 1-Shot Free Throws at 2026 Summer League as Sensor-Embedded Ball Returns
Updated
Updated · Bleacher Report · Jul 2
NBA Tests 1-Shot Free Throws at 2026 Summer League as Sensor-Embedded Ball Returns
3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Jul 2
Summary
Summer League games in 2026 will use a one-shot free-throw format, with a single attempt worth 1, 2 or 3 points except in the final two minutes of regulation and in overtime.
The NBA said the change is meant to speed game flow by cutting dead time at the line, where players are drawing fouls more effectively and fans have shown little appetite for more stoppages.
The league will also trial a connected basketball with an embedded sensor to gather data for officiating and game operations.
That ball is not entirely new: the NBA first introduced it in the G League before the 2019-20 season, and the one-shot free-throw rule has also been used there since 2019.
The Summer League test will show whether the format can trim interruptions without materially changing outcomes, even as critics argue every free-throw point should still be earned on separate attempts.