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

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

Asked by srkaren10587@msn.com over 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 almost 11 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 over 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.

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 about 10 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.

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 over 10 years ago

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

in the nba if you shoot a long,high arching shot as time runs out and the ball falls way short of the basket(no time on clock) but the ball bounces into the basket-does this count or is it a dead ball when it hits the floor?

Asked by feelingyou about 10 years ago

When a shot is released before time runs out, it becomes dead when it becomes apparent that it will not go directly into the basket. Of course, when it hits the floor it is a dead ball, and therefore does not count if it then bounces into the hoop.

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 over 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.