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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651 Questions

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Last Answer on September 20, 2019

Best Rated

What constitutes a foul being on the ground or not?

Asked by Riley almost 9 years ago

There is no distinction in the rule book about being on the ground except 1) a player who alights and shoots the ball is called an airborne shooter until he comes back to the ground, and if fouled even after releasing the ball the airborne shooter is in the act of shooting and 2) a player is considered to be in the act of shooting if he begins the habitual motion of shooting a try regardless of being on the floor or in the air.

Would you call this a foul or a block when a player goes for a simple underhand layup and the defender puts his arms across your body and cups the ball on top preventing you from extending your hand up and going forward.

Asked by RonanC over 7 years ago

Assuming the arm across did not cause contact, then when 2 oppposing players push the ball simultaneously in opposite directions it is a jump ball.

Team B full court press. Team A inbounder cant find a teammate, count approaches 5, fires the ball directly at Team B kid denying inbound pass. Team B kid is hurt. Game stopped and Team B player taken out of game. Some type of foul on Team A?

Asked by midd44 almost 9 years ago

It is a legitimate basketball play to bounce the ball off of a defender hoping the ball then goes directly out of bounds. There is no prohibition against that. HOWEVER, if a player purposely throws the ball at an opponent to hurt or intimidate him, that is an unsportsmanlike technical foul. So, it is up to the judgement of the officials.

Why are so insulting to the pro leagues? You sound exactly like a typical high school type. The pros have the best players playing at the highest level, putzo. A WMCA pickup game?umbass remark. Diana DTaurasi, Sheryl Swoopes = remarkable players

Asked by Adam over 8 years ago

The nba has the best basketball players in the world, as you suggest. No question. But that doesnt mean the pro game is the best spectator game to watch. I dont like the fact that rarely do defensive teams press because ball hanflers are so good, i dont like the calculated fouling of poor free throw shooters, i dont like the isolation half court game, the lack of fast break basketball ..particularly in the eastern conference and physical moving screens. I respect anyone's preferences, including a stranger who calls me putso. If you like the nba go watch it.

A player dribbles the ball and picks it up with two hands. He then drops the ball, can he pick it up without impunity?

Asked by Arthur Puritz about 8 years ago

It is a judgement call. If the player did not intentionallyvdrop the ball it is a muff or fumble and he can pick it up ... but not dribble again.

What is the result if two teams had only two players and all of them had fourth personal foul, then two players commit a double foul??

Asked by Caiverson almost 8 years ago

I dont know. Normally a team is disqualified if it no longer has at least 2 players left to play. Never have seen even 1 team disqualified for going under 2.

How do you decide that making or not making a call will affect the score at the end of a game

Asked by rimbreaker about 8 years ago

You don't decide based on how you think it will affect the score, if you follow the Advantage Disadvantage philosophy you decide to ignore a violation or foul if the infraction did or did not cause an unearned advantage to the violator.