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

Two players jump for rebound. Player A has two hand on the ball, B tries to flick the ball out while doing that B's hand has some contacts within A's inner arms. A calls 'foul', is it a valid call? everything happens while both on air.

Asked by Antux about 11 years ago

Technically slapping the arm of an opponent is a foul.  Inpractice, a referee should use his judgement to determine if that action caused a turnover.  If it did, the foul should be called.  

In your question, you ask if A calls a foul which makes me believe that you are playing without an official.  In pickup games, often rough play is tolerated and calling a slap on the arm is considered weak sometimes.  

I am in a 2-3 defense top defender. Offensive player makes a pass down the middle which i block with my arm. ball falls from my hand to foot. is that a kick?

Asked by Jerry Peoples about 11 years ago

A kick is the intentional contact with the leg or foot. As you describe it sounds unintentional, and therefore not a kick.

Follow-up to the previous question: I'm 20 soon to be 21) and have 4 years to become D-2 or D-1. Do I have a chance?

Asked by Serge about 10 years ago

Sounds like you are getting a late start but I would never discourage anyone from pursuing their dream. By the way, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team and clearly he stuck to it.

I was going for a loose ball that was headed out of bounds. A player from the opposite team slapped my wrist hard causing my hand to hit the ball out of bounce. Is this a foul?

Asked by JOhn over 11 years ago

Technically, you cannot ever slap an opponent's wrist or hand unless it is on the ball.  But in practice, good referees would be focusing on the palyers' torsos because that is where a meaningful foul is most likely to happen.

Let's suppose that I saw the play with exact clarity.  The player who slapped your hand "caused" the ball to go out of bounds, and unless the slap was forceful or flagarant, I would call the ball out (violation not foul) - last touched by your opponent and give your team the throw in.

If a shot is taken at the end of a quarter and ends up lodged between the rim and backboard AFTER the buzzer sounds, which team gets the ball to begin the next quarter? Is the jump ball still awarded or ignored because the quarter is over?

Asked by Don over 10 years ago

When a shot is in the air and time runs out the quarter ends when the try ends. So the instant the ball becomes lodged, the try is over and so is the quarter. The team with the possession arrow gets the ball to start the next quarter.

What if..taking ball out under own basket ..throw near midcourt when guy jumps from frontcourt catches and lands in backcourt...or is in backcourt, jumps, catches and lands in frontcort...either of these 2 O&B????

Asked by imaxfli over 11 years ago

During normal play, when a player catches the ball in air he is considered to be in the court he alighted from. Suppose Team A has the ball in possession in A's frontcourt. Player A1 jumps from the backcourt, catches the ball in air and lands in the frontcourt.  This is a backcourt violation. 

HOWEVER, there are two exceptions: 1) if a defensive player jumps from his backcourt, catches the ball and lands in his frontcourt, and 2) on any throw in.

In your question, it is a throw in and so the exception applies. No backcourt violation.

When your defending, can you push the offense player with your body while he is driving to the basket?

Asked by Philip over 11 years ago

NO, unless it is incidental or of no consequence.   Normally body contact by a moving defender on a drive to the basket is called a foul.