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

Is there a rule about the amount of time that should occur between two consecutive Technical fouls on one player? (Like ref calls technical, waits, calls another technical on the same player. ie. time for coach to get player to cool off)

Asked by Jojo about 11 years ago

Yes there is a time limit because the player has been disqualified on the 2nd technical which is treated no differently than a player being assesed his 5th foul - the coach has 30 seconds to replace the player.  A cohesive ref crew should handle it ideally like this:  1) the ref who calls the 2nd T should be a different official than the one who calls the 1st T, 2) the ref calling the 2nd T should report the foul and inform the coach that the player has been disqualified, 3) a different official should escort the disqualified player to the bench, and 3) inform the coach that he has 30 seconds to replace the player, and 4) ask the timer to begin a 30 second count.  If the coach is so mad that he refuses to send a replacement player in, then one the official should warn the coach of delay of game, and if necessary assess a technical on the coach.  Hopefully it never gets to this level, but it could.

After a rec game, one of our players told a ref (calmly) he needed to make calls on obvious fouls. He became angry(he'd been angry and rude all game) and said if he was our ref next week, he would give us a T to start the game. Is this ever okay?

Asked by Matt P over 10 years ago

No, it is absolutely not ok.  A ref must be above reproach, and when there are lingering bad feelings a good ref will put the history behind them.  So first, if a ref swallows the whistle - in rec leagues it is common so the games end quicker - then report the ref to the league's assignment chair.  Not calling obvious fouls almost always leads to rough play as the players feel compelled to protect themselves. 2nd, a ref should be fired for starting the game with an unearned T.

Need help... Jump ball situation--When can one of the Two jumpers grab and have legal possession of the ball, after the touching by one of the two jumpers?

Asked by Tom about 11 years ago

Here's the jump ball rule:  Neither jumper shall 1) touch the ball before it reaches its height, 2) leave the circle until the ball has been touched, 3) catch the jump ball, or 4) touch the ball more than twice.  

These restrictions are in place until: the ball contacts one of the eight non-jumpers, an official, the floor, a basket or the backboard.

A team in the bonus has a player fouled and the fouling player is called for a flagrant foul, does the fouled player go to the line after the technical shots for the one-and-one or do they just get possession out-of-bounds. Is the technical 2 shots?

Asked by Whitey almost 11 years ago

1) If the foul is called as a flagrant technical, then  2 shots + the ball,

2) If the foul is a common foul, and then a technical foul also is called, then:

shoot the free throws in the order the fouls occurred. So clear the lanes for a one + one.  Then any player shoots the 2 Ts. Then ball at half court.

High school technicals are always 2 free throws, unless they are cancelled out by simultaneous technicals by both teams.

Can a defender check an offensive player by putting aforearm or elbow in his gut?

Asked by rodk over 11 years ago

The simple answer is that if the contact you are describing is material it should definitely be called a foul. A defender can use such contact to hold an opponent or to indicate which way a play will go (which is why handchecks need to be called more often).

Is there such a thing as an intimidation foul?

Asked by point guard over 10 years ago

No, you will not find intimidation in the rule book.  There are unsportsmanlike fouls which may overlap intimidation.  There is one local team which places two captains at the helf-court line during warm ups with their team in a few lines facing them.  The captains move side to side with the players chanting in cadence. The drill ends with the team diving forward toward midcourt shouting in unison either "team" or "defense".  It is very intimidating to the other team, but absolutely not illegal.

A call was made that if you don't have position of the ball your team on the bench can't count down the clock. Is this correct?

Asked by Dean about 11 years ago

I believe that is a made up rule.  The only way to construe a violation would be to consider it unsportsmanlike, but that is a stretch.  The way to handle it is if there is a dead ball after the team was counting approach the coach and ask if the coach considers counting in that way sporting.  Maybe he will stop them, but as a ref I would not call a foul.