The NBA has announced the elevation of referees JD Ralls and Tyler Ricks to the league’s full-time officiating team for the current season.

In their careers, Ralls has officiated 28 NBA games, participating in two so far this season, while Ricks has overseen 24 games, with one coming in the current schedule.

This advancement of Ralls and Ricks brings the total number of full-time officials in the NBA to 75, marking an increase from the previous season. The only official from the last year who won’t be returning is Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, who recently revealed her retirement due to persistent knee problems.

Ricks has spent nine seasons officiating in the G League, whereas Ralls has six years of experience in that minor league setting.

Monty McCutchen, the NBA vice president responsible for training and development of referees, remarked, “JD and Tyler exemplify how the NBA G League serves as a vital platform for development and training.” He further acknowledged their commitment to officiating and celebrated their advancement to the NBA level.

Both Ralls and Ricks will also officiate games in the G League, as is the case for all NBA referees with less than four years of experience. This practice is designed to help referees gain valuable experience as crew chiefs while honing their leadership skills.

Along with the 75 full-time officials, there will be an additional nine non-staff referees managing games for the NBA this season.