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

Why do some refs say the wrong team color sometimes? In a recent rec league game, for example, the ref called a team in orange jerseys "red." The first time I saw this I figured it was colorblindness. Then it happened several other times.

Asked by Brian over 9 years ago

It is just easier to say red than orange, or even blue than turquoise.

Can an offensive player who is continuously dribbling be called for five seconds?

Asked by Frank almost 10 years ago

The violation is that a player is "closely guarded" for 5 seconds. Note it includes a stationary player holding the ball, dribbling in place, and dribbling on the move. Being closely guarded by a defender for a continuous 5 seconds is a violation.

Player A is substituted before the 2nd free throw. Player B enters the game. Opponent is called for a violation during the 2nd free throw. Can Player A re-enter the game?

Asked by David Johns over 9 years ago

A cannot reenter until the clock starts during a live ball.

Would you ever give a coach a technical with 30 seconds left in a tied game if he were arguing with you, you tell him to walk away, and he walks away about 25 feet away, and says something that is not audible 2 the ref 2 another person about the call

Asked by molio64 over 10 years ago

I would not call a foul on a coach who says something that I did not hear. However, if the coach defiantly tried to show me up with body language designed to attack my integrity I would T him up.

Having said that, in 20 years you could count on 2 hands the technical coach's fouls I called.

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 over 9 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 constitutes a foul being on the ground or not?

Asked by Riley over 10 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.

can i box out an opponent before their offensive player takes a shot ?

Asked by Kobe54 over 10 years ago

Yes, because boxing out is getting to a spot on the floor before your opponent is entitled to that space, and doing it in a way that "blocks" the direct path of your opponent.