instant replay

The NBA's Board of Governors has approved the expanded use of instant replay for the 2008-09 season. Referees will be allowed to review video to determine if a field goal was a 2- or 3-point attempt, or to decide if a shooting foul was committed behind the arc and warrants three shots instead of two.

Major League Baseball has reversed its long-standing opposition to instant replay and will allow umpires to check video on home run calls in series that start Thursday, a person familiar with the announcement told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was authorized before 5 p.m. Tuesday EDT.

Major League Baseball has reversed its long-standing opposition to instant replay and will allow umpires to check video on home run calls in series that start Thursday, a person familiar with the announcement told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was authorized before 5 p.m. Tuesday EDT.

Major league ballparks are being wired for instant replay, and commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday his "confidence is growing" that the technology to assist umpires will be ready soon.

"I want to make sure that if and when we do it, it's really good, it's perfect," Selig said at the conclusion of a two-day owners' meeting.

Instant replay might be coming to Major League Baseball in an instant. Moving faster than expected and coming after a rash of blown calls, baseball wants to put replay into effect by August for home run disputes in hopes of fine-tuning the system by the playoffs.

MLB and the umpires' union need to reach agreement before replay can be tried, and the sides have started talking.