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

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Last Answer on September 20, 2019

Best Rated

On 9th team foul players line up in lane and one of the officials indicated two shots (double bonus) rather than 1:1. Player missed free throw 5 of 6 players in lane stay in position, one player grabs rebound and makes the basket. Ruling?

Asked by Tom Hansen over 12 years ago

There are five correctible errors in the NFHS rulebook: 1) failure to award a merited FT, 2) awarding an unmerited FT, 3) permitting the wrong player to shoot a FT, 4) attempting a FT at the wrong basket, & 5) Erroneously counting or cancelling a score.  Unfortunately in your scenario, the error was in announcing 2 free throws (he never progressed to awarding the erroroneous 2nd freet throw).  So, the error is not correctible, the basket counts, and now belongs to the opposing team.  Tough break because of bad officiating.

You keep saying "it makes no difference if in bonus"...for Player Control...I only add the "in bonus" because it is the only time free throws are rewarded if not shooting..

Asked by MarkM over 12 years ago

I don't know how else to say this...in high school rules, we NEVER award free throws on a player or team control foul.  We also NEVER count the basket if a player control foul was called on the shooter.

That is why it does not matter if the team is in the bonus - in any case, free throws are not awarded on a control foul. It is by definition in the rule book -  a control foul (team or player) never earns free throws. 

Maybe you are confused by the terms - notice I did not say charging fouls instead of control fouls, because charging is just one type of foul committed by the offense.  For example, free throws are not awarded for an illegal screen by the offense (as of about five years ago).

Just to clarify, the foul was a flagrant personal foul (during live play) not a flagrant technical. So the player should have been awarded the 1-and-1 in addition to the two technical free throws, correct?

Asked by Whitey over 12 years ago

In NFHS all flagrant fouls (personal or technical) result in 2 free throws plus the ball at half court.  In addition, the player charged with a flagrant foul is immediately disqualified.  You never shoot 1 and 1 on a flgrant foul.

What should a referee do to call a team on the floor after a timeout? The team with possession came on, then the ref quickly blew the whistle and gave the ball to inbound, but the other team's players weren't on the floor.

Asked by weekendref over 11 years ago

Technically speaking, it is a technical team foul for not coming onto the court in a timely manner after a time out or start of a quarter or overtime.  Preventive officiating would dictate giving the team a little leaway to come onto the court, but if a coach refuses then a T should be called.

Sounds like the ref was confused because if the possession team is slow to come on the court it is legitimate to put the ball down on the throw in area and begin a five count.  However, when the defense refuses to come out, T is the appropriate penalty, not putting the ball in play without the defense.

Before a hockey game the refs check the nets. Do b-ball refs have a routine? Such as measuring rim height, nets, clocks. Have you ever found anything that might have advantaged a team that needed correcting?

Asked by Rimbreaker over 11 years ago

Fifteen minutes before the game, the officials are to take their positions on the court.  An Umpire (U1 & U2) stand on the sideline at approximately the free throw line extended.  While walking to their positions, all officials are to look for obstructions, short throw in areas, proper bench locations, and proper coaches boxes. The referee stands at half court.  The umpires are tasked with 2 things: get a count of the players and look for faulty or illegal equipment (metal clips in hair, unauthorized uniform variances, etc.).  The referee takes the player count from both umpires and between 10-12 minutes before gametime the referee checks the scorer's book to 1) ensure that the book has at least as many entries as there are players warming up, and 2) that the starters are designated in the bokk no later than 10 minutes before game time.  Once the book is verified, the referee calls the umpires together along with team captains and coaches.  The referee normally conducts the pregame with mandatory state-required admonishments.  Then the referees go back to their positions and right before the nationa anthem stand in front of the scorers table.

I never found a coach trying to take advantage of equipment except there have been over or underinflated balls that I have adjusted.  Many referees carry an inflation pin in case they have to let some air out of a game ball.

What is the call if a team starts a play after a time out with 4 players?

Asked by ed over 11 years ago

I call it bad preventative officiating. One of the officials should count the players after each time out, and prevent the play from starting until you have ten players on the floor. However, once the play starts the fifth player cannot come back in until there is a dead ball whistle.

In the Michigan v Tenessee NCAA game Nic Stauskas passed the ball to himself off the backboard. While everyone lauds it as a "heady" play I think it's illegal, yes? I'm told it's only legal in the NBA.

Asked by Bill Szcz about 12 years ago

In high school rules, a player can retrieve the ball after a "legitimate" shot attempt without hitting anything.  For example, you could retrieve an airball shot even though the ball has not been touched by another player.  However, f the throw to the backboard is not a shot attempt and a player purposely throws it off the backboard, I would call that travelling - much like tossing the ball forward to yourself and moving down the court.