Scoring numbers in the NBA were reaching historic levels for the first few months of the season, with the best offenses in the league on pace to shatter the all-time record for average points per 100 possessions. But as of late, scoring has been on a downturn, and the league’s point of emphasis for officials appears to be contributing to this trend.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, “the league office outlined an increased officiating focus on offensive players hunting out fouls and veering off pathways to the basket into defenders” in the latest meeting with the NBA competition committee. The balance of the NBA game seems to be favoring offensive players heavily and this directive helps give defenders more leeway to be physical.

Members of the committee assert that they did not intend for scoring to decline. Nevertheless, this increased officiating focus has led to a leaguewide scoring downturn, with teams scoring an average of four fewer points in recent weeks, as pointed out by Wojnarowski.

It’s not quite clear at the moment if the league office is pleased with the NBA product since releasing this memo for officials. But at the very least, there has been a clear effect on the way teams play the game. There has been more physicality, and score lines have now resembled levels of scoring in previous years following an obvious inflation to begin the year. (Just take a gander at the score of the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers’ slugfest back on March 10.)

There is an argument that the spacing is greater than ever in today’s NBA, which makes offenses easier. But it seems like offensive players get away with far too much contact, getting to the free throw line at will and making defending an even more difficult task.

It’s not certain what exact event pushed the league to enact these changes. But there were loud criticisms that came out when players dropped a few 60 and 70-point games in the span of a week, so perhaps those contributed to the NBA’s decision to give defenders more room to play better defense. Still, the NBA will be monitoring how the newfound officiating emphasis affects the game moving forward.