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

That seems to be the generic answer to the slamming/spiking the ball issue. So shouldn't it state this in the rule book? Otherwise, I agree, it could be used arbitrarily by some less than idea ref to punish one team over another.

Asked by Daniel about 10 years ago

The rule book does not spell out all the ways of committing a technical foul. I believe that working your way up through ranks sifts out most referees with poor judgement and thin skin, not always but at most levels it is so competitive that the better officials tend to move forward and ref the better games. That is how the system cultivates good judgement - and I'll admit there are officials who come in with a chip on their shoulders and stretch their judgement unfairly against a team or player, but it is the assignment chairman's job to weed out these kind of officials.

What's the rules for a coach to talk to a ref in the middle of the game and the ref is talking back

Asked by Sheryll Woolsey about 10 years ago

A ref cannot listen to a coach and do his job while a game is being played. So a ref should not respond during live balls. On the first dead ball i would approach the coach, listen to what the issue is, resolve it if legitimate, and explain that I will not listen or be interupted during live balls. If he insists on communicating while i have in game responsibilities i will consider it unsportsmanlike.

Do you think 3 second rule should be abandoned like palming and traveling? Would it change the game?

Asked by srkaren10587@msn.com almost 10 years ago

No, it should be called only when it affects the outcome. By the way, travelling and palming (carrying the ball) are still violations.

With the new rule in high school basketball with free throws, it is a violation to break the plane of the freethrow line before the ball makes contact, if you also foul the shooter at the same time do you enforce both the lane violation and the foul

Asked by Bob over 10 years ago

I believe the new rule (added in 2014-2015) allows players lined up along the free throw lane to break the plane as soon as the ball is released (like the NBA). If a defender violates it is a delayed violation (live ball) and so you would enforce the subsequent foul. However, if a lane violation is committed by a teammate of the shooter, the ball is dead and any subsequent unintentional fouls are not enforced.

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 10 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.

Why isn't it an offensive foul when a shooting player jumps into the defender? The shooter creates the contact but is always rewarded.

Asked by Crcsda about 9 years ago

If an offensive player jumps and causes contact within the defender's space it should be called a player control foul, unless the contact did not change the play in a material way (Advantage Disadvantage Theory of Officiating).

Offensive player catches the ball and jumps like he's shooting a jumpshot (has yet to dribble). Can he use his dribble while in the air and drive or is putting the ball on the floor now a travel?

Asked by Philip over 9 years ago

The player needs to begin the dribble before lifting the pivot foot, so if a player jumps before dribbling he only has 2 options...shoot or pass before landing on the floor. Starting a dribble after lifting your pivot foot is travelling although not usually called in the nba.