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

If you were rewriting the rulebook, are there any types of fouls from the current game that you'd remove?

Asked by slowgrind over 12 years ago

A troublesome judgement call is whether a foul, typically near the end of a game, is intentional or not. The whole gym knows that a team wants to foul to stop the clock in a tight game but for some officials, if the defender is "going for the ball" no intentional foul is called. Intentional fouls carry a higher penalty in National Federation High School Rules. So it is called inconsistently. A potential rule change is instead of penalizing free throws and the ball, I would make the penalty free throws OR the ball.

Is it even possible for a coach or player to get a call overturned in basketball?

Asked by Bryan over 12 years ago

As far as I know there is no mechanic for overturning calls officially except in state tournaments where replay might be allowed for end of quarter timing calls (before or after buzzer), with the exception of 5 correctable errors as defined in the federation rule book. These 5 errors are things like reversing an erroneously awarded free throw, etc.. In all other cases overturning calls should be discussed in the referee's pregame in the lockerroom. Some guys take the position that they never want to be overturned. My preference, and I always told my partners this, is if my partner disagrees with my call do the following: 1) blow the whistle and stop the game, 2) privately tell me what you saw and why you disagree with the call, and 3) I will decide whether to overturn based on what I saw and what you told me. That way, no one is overturning anybody else - the calling official is given the chance to reverse.

Don't you think it's a little messed up that a coach can get a technical foul that actually affects the gameplay? Like, it's fine to eject the coach or whatever, but why should the players suffer for something a non-player does?

Asked by TvonT over 12 years ago

Yes, it is often unfair that a coach's actions can influence or cost their team a game, but it is also unfair that a coach can use the referees and a T to motivate his team. I had a coach draw me closer and quietly tell me that he wanted a T. I wouldn't call it, so then he stepped back and ultimately swore at me, earning him the T. Then his team turned on the juice and blew the other team out. So, I guess it goes both ways.

Do you think the NBA was right to suspend Metta World Peace for 7 games after the elbow incident? I watched that replay at least 20 times and couldn't decide.

Asked by MoeMoe over 12 years ago

The fans pay for the best players to be on the floor. If you allow rough play and don't penalize it, then why not add a "goon" (ala hockey of old) to knock the stars out of the contest. The NBA surely looks at superstars as assets which generate revenue, so I agree with being harsh with hurtful play.

Never understood why the clock doesn't start when a player inbounds the ball by rolling it down the court until another player touches it. Obviously you didn't make up the rule, but what's the logic behind that?

Asked by Rob A-T-L over 12 years ago

If the clock started when the ball crossed into the court, a team could stall, for example, by throwing the ball high in the air across the gym and out of bounds without any player having a chance to catch the ball. Or, from the front court on an out of bounds play you could pitch the ball into the backcourt and stall off a few seconds, without any player touching the ball. The clock rightfully starts when an in-bounds player touches the ball.

How old was the youngest kid you've ever seen dunk in a live game?

Asked by Gregg_D over 12 years ago

I saw a 6 foot freshman dunk in the middle of the 4th quarter in a tight game. It was shocking.

Do you think there's any truth to the "4-step" layup, where superstars are given traveling leniency when charging to the hoop?

Asked by whatthedeuce? over 12 years ago

Two things: 1) fans often mistake legitimate basketball moves when the player goes slowly - especially when a player down low pivots, steps and lifts the pivot foot. This is a legitimate basket move (otherwise you would never be able to shoot a layup). 2) The call most missed (maybe it is just my pet peeve) is the Jordan move of giving up your pivot foot before starting your dribble. This gives a tremendous advantage to the offensive player, and is very difficult to defend.