Basketball Referee

Basketball Referee

Rndballref

20 Years Experience

Chicago, IL

Male, 60

For twenty years I officiated high school, AAU and park district basketball games, retiring recently. For a few officiating is the focus of their occupation, while for most working as an umpire or basketball referee is an avocation. I started ref'ing to earn beer money during college, but it became a great way to stay connected to the best sports game in the universe. As a spinoff, I wrote a sports-thriller novel loosely based on my referee experiences titled, Advantage Disadvantage

SubscribeGet emails when new questions are answered. Ask Me Anything!Show Bio +

Share:

Ask me anything!

Submit Your Question

651 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on September 20, 2019

Best Rated

Seems to me that a foul on a tip in should be a loose ball since by definition no team has possession. If it gets tipped in and the team is in the bonus its no different than a player making a shot while his teammate gets fouled under the basket.

Asked by dhatch over 12 years ago

In NFHS there is no such thing as a loose ball foul,  This is very simple... in the judgement of the officials is the batted ball a legitimate "try" for a goal?  I would never call a batted ball anywhere other than in the paint a legitimate try.  So, a half court tip, batted ball would earn a common foul, not a shooting foul. You are correct in that you must have player control established to be in the act of shooting. But it is not the same as a fellow player being fouled to shoot a one and one on a made shot while in the air, because it is a foul on one player - either he is in the act of shooting, *which ends when an airborne shooter hits the floor, or he isn't in the act of shooting.

Can a defender check an offensive player by putting aforearm or elbow in his gut?

Asked by rodk over 12 years ago

The simple answer is that if the contact you are describing is material it should definitely be called a foul. A defender can use such contact to hold an opponent or to indicate which way a play will go (which is why handchecks need to be called more often).

I was officiating a game and was on the sideline when I turned to run up court and I collided with the coach.. The coach fell to the court I and I immediately issued a technical foul. The coach was borderline in the black area when when we collided.

Asked by Rick over 12 years ago

The coach (assuming he has not been seatbelted with a technical foul prior to this) is entitled to stand inside the coach's box, which is out of bounds.  If the coach was out of bounds or his foot was on the line the collusion, though unfortunate, is not a technical foul.  If the coach was squarely in bounds which casued the collision then it should be called a T.  Borderline, I would pass.

Honestly,I think I was ejected from the game because there was a break in game play a T.O was called. So when play was about to resume I told my daughter and our other pg to just keep driving hard and make the ref blow his whistle and do his job

Asked by Ronald Poke over 11 years ago

In a local baseball league, they implemented a rule that if a player or parent was tossed from a game, the player was ruled ineligible until the parent umpired a game at his/her level of choice. The league has a handful of letters of apology from parents who tried (quite unsuccessfully) to umpire games.

If I might be so bold as to suggest that you become patched for basketball in your state, attend summer camp to get trained, and work some games next year. You will gain a better understanding of the game, probably help your daughter's game and you will watch her play a little calmer.

Is there a rule about the amount of time that should occur between two consecutive Technical fouls on one player? (Like ref calls technical, waits, calls another technical on the same player. ie. time for coach to get player to cool off)

Asked by Jojo over 12 years ago

Yes there is a time limit because the player has been disqualified on the 2nd technical which is treated no differently than a player being assesed his 5th foul - the coach has 30 seconds to replace the player.  A cohesive ref crew should handle it ideally like this:  1) the ref who calls the 2nd T should be a different official than the one who calls the 1st T, 2) the ref calling the 2nd T should report the foul and inform the coach that the player has been disqualified, 3) a different official should escort the disqualified player to the bench, and 3) inform the coach that he has 30 seconds to replace the player, and 4) ask the timer to begin a 30 second count.  If the coach is so mad that he refuses to send a replacement player in, then one the official should warn the coach of delay of game, and if necessary assess a technical on the coach.  Hopefully it never gets to this level, but it could.

Need help... Jump ball situation--When can one of the Two jumpers grab and have legal possession of the ball, after the touching by one of the two jumpers?

Asked by Tom over 12 years ago

Here's the jump ball rule:  Neither jumper shall 1) touch the ball before it reaches its height, 2) leave the circle until the ball has been touched, 3) catch the jump ball, or 4) touch the ball more than twice.  

These restrictions are in place until: the ball contacts one of the eight non-jumpers, an official, the floor, a basket or the backboard.

Is there a move I'll call an air dribble, where an aggressive defender presses and I open handed pat the ball over him to continue dribbling. Can I retrieve the ball and not dribble, but pass

Asked by rimbreaker almost 12 years ago

From the federation rule book, "During a dribble the ball may ve batted into the air provided it is permitted tp strike the floor before the is touched again with the dribbler's hand(s).

So, in you question you could retrieve the ball after it strikes the floor or continue dribbling PROVIDING you have not palmed or carried the ball.