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

Referee misses the bonus on a foul and play continues for 20 seconds. Referee realizes mistake and stops play to allow player to shoot the bonus one and one freethrow. Do you put the 20 sec back on the clock?

Asked by Dave about 9 years ago

It is correctable as you describe the play. Put the correct player at the line. All fouls and points which occurred before the error is recognized stand, but no time is put back on the clock.

Toward the end of the basketball game there was a foul called. The ref came over and said it was either on #20 or #21, he asked who had the most fouls. #21 did so he called the foul on #21 and it fouled him out. Was this the right procedure?

Asked by Heidi almost 9 years ago

As of about 10 years ago, NFHS refs are allowed to consult with the scorer's table if they are unsure of who the foul is on, or who the shooter should be. However, it is sloppy officiating in a 3 man crew when none of the officials know who was involved in a foul. In my opinion, it is inappropriate to levy a foul based on personal foul counts. If the table knows with confidence who committed a foul then they can help. Otherwise, the official must determine who fouled, or else don't blow your whistle.

A player drives hard to the basket. He puts his shoulder in the defender chest, jumps up and score. The collision and the shot is almost at the same time. The referee calls for an offensive foul, the ball is in the air. Does the basket still counts?

Asked by Max almost 9 years ago

No. In NFHS rules, a basket cannot count if an offensive foul is called on the shooter.

Player A is taking the ball out of bounds and passes it in to player B. Player B quickly passes it back to the inbounder (player A). Does player A have to have both feet inbounds or does she have to place one inbounds to be established as in?

Asked by lauren over 8 years ago

one foot down inbounds is ok as long as the other foot is in the air and not out of bounds.

If a player gets called for an over the back foul (1 and 1) and the player then proceeds to get a tech...How do you deal with the 1 and 1 and 2 shots and ball?

Asked by Brad almost 9 years ago

Just a quick point of order, there is no such foul in the rule book called "over the back". For example a player could jump up. reach over an opponent from behind and as long as there is no contact, there is no foul.

At any rate, referees are taught to administer fouls in the order they occurred. So in your scenario, clear the lane and shoot the 1 and 1. Then shoot the 2 technicals, and award the ball at half court.  

If these fouls occurred in the opposite order you would only shoot the technicals, because common, unintentional fouls are ignored if they occur during a dead ball.

if the buzzer sounds at the end of the game and the ref blows her whistle at the same time, can she extend the time on the clock to give a team two foul shots?

Asked by Antonietta almost 9 years ago

Even though the buzzer sounds if the shot left the shooters hand before time expired, the ball is live and the shot counts. If the shooter was fouled in the act of shooting at the end of the game, if making any of the free throws could matter to the outcome of the game the lane is cleared and the free throws are attempted.

Player A gets two technicals for delay of game. Is he ejected?

Asked by Kevin about 9 years ago

delay of game are team technicals, not attributed to a player. They do count toward the bonus