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

Player has two free throws. Shoots the first then the other team calls a timeout. Is this fine or should the second free throw have been shot and then the timeout been granted when the other team gains possession?

Asked by Mike about 12 years ago

When the ball goes through the basket it is a dead ball and anyone can call timeout until the team takes possession (even after a made basket by your team while on offense, until your opponent picks up the ball).

After the first of 2 free throws there will not be team possession, so either team can call time out until the ball is at the disposal of the shooter for his second free throw.

Yea...I am just trying to find out what OTHER PLAYER CONTROL examples are there where the team fouled just gets the ball out of bounds...no free throws if in bonus...I assume an OFFENSIVE CHARGE is one such example(maybe that is wrong), what are some

Asked by MarkM over 12 years ago

OK. Got it.  A player with the ball could push, hold, slap, trip, and charge for player control fouls.  A team mate of the player with the ball could do the same plus illegal screens.  All of these are control fouls with no free throws.

 

Hi Ref, in one game years back when I played a lot of ball, a player on the other team always grabbed the ball after his team made a basket and placed the ball on the floor so we had to bend down and grab it before taking it out. Is this legal? Thx

Asked by Pete Johnston (Chicago) about 13 years ago

Placing the ball on the floor repeatedly denies the other team the opportunity to grab the ball and run.  Here's how it should be handled.  After the second occurence, the ref should stop the game and issue a "delay of game warning" against the team, and ask the scorer to register a warning in the book..  If they do it again, the offending player should be charged with a technical foul.

) When a player returns from out of bounds - to touch a loose ball - does he need to have touched back inbounds with both feet - or is one enough to establish himself ? Thanks for your time Alex

Asked by Alex almost 13 years ago

The rule book states that a player is out of bounds if any part of his body is touching out of bounds or touching a player who is out of bounds.  It also states that an airborne player has the geographical position of where he jumped from (until he lands).  So the player does not by rule have to have two feet in bounds, just one as long as the other is in the air and not out of bounds.

What is a typical NBA ref salary and what is the difference between the three refs and what they do?

Asked by Alias over 12 years ago

According to theriches.com beginning NBA referees make $150,000 and senior officials make up to $550,000.  In every game, one official is designated as the "referee" and the others are "officials".  In NFHS, the referee has certain additional duties such as picking who will toss jump balls, giving pre-game instructions etc..  But the "referee" is not supposed to overrule the other two officials.  I suspect that in the NBA, senior officials might have additional duties such as travel arrangements, meetings, training, rule advisories, etc.

To follow up, "never award...doesn't matter if team is in bonus", well yea, of course...so is the ONLY player control violation when affected team gets possession A CHARGE, with no free throws even if in bonus???

Asked by MM over 12 years ago

Other than technical fouls, there are no free throws awarded when a team with possession of the ball commits a foul. 

If it is in the possession of the player committing the foul, then it is a player control foul (NO free throws).  If a player's team has possession and a foul is committed by a player on that team without the ball it is a team control foul (and again, NO free throws). 

A team or player control foul is never awarded free throws, and it makes no difference if the team is in bonus.  

Also, you might be asking if a charge is the only player control foul possible?  The answer is no.  A player with the ball might push, trip, hold, etc a defensive player and an offensive player without the ball might set an illegal screen, push, hold, etc in addition to charging. All of this is relative to NFHS rules.

Is the big kid condemned to not getting fouls called? My son was the tallest and most athletic. He drove to the hole and drew 4 smaller defenders banging clutching holding grabbing so shots never made it to rim, but no call most of the time.

Asked by RodK almost 13 years ago

In youth basketball it is common to be biased against the biggest kids.  It is unfair, but it happens.  If there is a silver lining it is that your son will be well prepared for AAU and high school rough play.  Although unfair, it is better for your son to toughen up then for him to not develop because he is currently bigger than his teammates.  Read the book, "Play Their Hearts Out" for a real story of the next LeBron who was the best player in the country in middle school, but flattened out at 6'2" as a senior in high school.