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

In a high school game in 1963: Player A is fouled severely on a shot & gets two free throws. He is injured on the play and leaves the game not to return. Player B makes both free throws & stays in game. Question: Who is entitled to the points??

Asked by Lonnie H. Duke over 9 years ago

Player B is awarded the points for the free throws he makes. There are no points awarded for drawing a foul - at least not in NFHS rules.

Can a referee order a player to retrieve a basketball that has gone out of bounds? Saw a player start then stop to get a ball that was rolling off the court and went out of bounds. The ref could ask the player to help but can't compel that act

Asked by Chipjr over 8 years ago

You are correct. There is nothing in the rule book which would compel a player to retrieve the ball for an official. The only related rule deals with a player not giving the ball to an official or touching the ball when the other team has possession, like after a basket by your own team. This would be a delay of game.

offensive player drives to the basket and makes the shot .
a foul is called by the ref on the defensive player . however he said the foul was after the shot was made
defensive player gets the foul and the defensive team gets the ball ?

Asked by paul mcgrath over 9 years ago

Ok. Situation 1: Offensive player A1 drives, shoots the ball while in the air and is fouled by defensive player B1 (before A1 returns to the floor). A1 is considered an "airborne shooter" until he hits the ground and is considered in the act of shooting. Count the basket and award one free throw.

Situation 2: Offensive player A1 drives, shoots the ball and lands back on the floor and is fouled by B1. Possession ended when the shot is released and the shooter is no longer an airborne shooter in the act when he lands on the floor. So when he is on the floor it is a common foul on B1 and award the ball to team A or free throws if in bonus. Count the basket by A1.

Situation 3: Offensive player A1 shoots the ball, ball goes in, and A1 crashes illegally (before landing on the floor) into B1 who has obtained legal guarding position, player control foul on A1. Ball goes to team B and no free throws. Wipe out made basket by A1.

Situation 4: Offensive player A1 shoots the ball, lands on the floor, ball goes in and A1 fouls B1. Count the basket. Common foul on A1, free throws for B1 if in bonus, otherwise ball goes to team B.

Player A and Player B are fighting for a ball that is heading toward out of bounds.
Player B in his efforts ends up out of bounds and keep in mind has not touched the ball while going out of bounds, so it is still a live play
Player A while still in

Asked by Jeff about 9 years ago

The ball is inbounds until the ball touches any out of bounds area, or it touches a player who is out of bounds. If A is still inbounds and the ball is still inbounds, it is not out of bounds until an out of bounds player touches it.

I'm not sure if there is another page where I can ask this question or not, if there is just let me know... I'm currently in the military and we run an intramural league and we follow the NFHS rules, we are trying to clarify a proper call to further help educate our league/ refs/ and coaches..... We had an instance where a shooting foul occurred, so the Shooter went to the line, however before the first FT the opposing team made an illegal substitution which resulted in a technical foul. So dead ball, technical foul the team gets to shoot whoever they choose to shoot those technical FTs. After those FTs, what should the refs do? They had a shooting foul before the Technical, does the shooter still get their FTs? To they get their FTs and the ball? Or do they get the tech FTs and the ball out of bounds? We tubal you for your time and any help clarifying a rule in a situation like this would be greatly helpful

Asked by Paul almost 9 years ago

Sir, thank you for your service! The answer to your question lies in a simple rule of thumb: administer fouls in the order they occurred. So, clear the lane, let the original player shoot his free throws or one and one. Then, the same team can choose any player on the floor to shoot the technicals, then award the ball at half court for the same team.

Hi Rndballref, your insights into reffing have been very helpful! On a fast break, opposition player yells out to distract the ball carrier making a basket. I am unsure of how to call this, but it is frustrating to see in junior b'ball. Thoughts?

Asked by Aussie Ref over 9 years ago

There is no specific prohibition specifying the volume or content of on court expression except the provisions against unsportsmanlike conduct. For some (not me), excessively yelling "ball, ball" by a defender is unsportsmanlike.  

Of course if the vocalization is derogatory or vulgar it would be a technical. You might as a preventative measure talk to the coach and suggest that a player yelling like this is getting close to unsportsmanlike behavior and he should tone it down.

In high school basketball is the ref a part of the court and who gains possession of the ball?

Asked by Janet almost 9 years ago

Yes. The ref is part of the floor where he is standing. If the ref is out of bounds and the ball hits him then the ball is out of bounds. If the ref is inbounds and the ball hits him play on.