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

I was officiating a game and was on the sideline when I turned to run up court and I collided with the coach.. The coach fell to the court I and I immediately issued a technical foul. The coach was borderline in the black area when when we collided.

Asked by Rick over 11 years ago

The coach (assuming he has not been seatbelted with a technical foul prior to this) is entitled to stand inside the coach's box, which is out of bounds.  If the coach was out of bounds or his foot was on the line the collusion, though unfortunate, is not a technical foul.  If the coach was squarely in bounds which casued the collision then it should be called a T.  Borderline, I would pass.

Can I lift the pivot foot as I jump of nonpivot foot to shoot and during the motion my pivot foot actually goes past/infront of the nonpivot foot-before touching the floor?

http://youtu.be/MNRXBJOWpQk?t=5m41s
and
http://youtu.be/7WvtjP1TQw4?t=27s

Asked by Blaze over 11 years ago

The direction of the pivot foot vis a vis the nonpivot makes no difference as you can pivot 360 degrees on your pivot.  If your right foot is the pivot you can step with your left and then jump picking up your right foot off the floor and it is legal.  I think of it this way -  if you were not allowed to ever lift your pivot foot how could you shoot a layup?  Direction does not matter, you can make this move as a fadeaway and it is still not travelling (but your coach might bench you!).

Honestly,I think I was ejected from the game because there was a break in game play a T.O was called. So when play was about to resume I told my daughter and our other pg to just keep driving hard and make the ref blow his whistle and do his job

Asked by Ronald Poke over 10 years ago

In a local baseball league, they implemented a rule that if a player or parent was tossed from a game, the player was ruled ineligible until the parent umpired a game at his/her level of choice. The league has a handful of letters of apology from parents who tried (quite unsuccessfully) to umpire games.

If I might be so bold as to suggest that you become patched for basketball in your state, attend summer camp to get trained, and work some games next year. You will gain a better understanding of the game, probably help your daughter's game and you will watch her play a little calmer.

You keep saying "it makes no difference if in bonus"...for Player Control...I only add the "in bonus" because it is the only time free throws are rewarded if not shooting..

Asked by MarkM over 11 years ago

I don't know how else to say this...in high school rules, we NEVER award free throws on a player or team control foul.  We also NEVER count the basket if a player control foul was called on the shooter.

That is why it does not matter if the team is in the bonus - in any case, free throws are not awarded on a control foul. It is by definition in the rule book -  a control foul (team or player) never earns free throws. 

Maybe you are confused by the terms - notice I did not say charging fouls instead of control fouls, because charging is just one type of foul committed by the offense.  For example, free throws are not awarded for an illegal screen by the offense (as of about five years ago).

What would the penalty be for a high school basketball player if he got mad and spit on one of the referees?

Asked by Tee over 12 years ago

I would immediately throw the player out of the game with a flagrant technical.  In Illinois, the player would also be suspended for the next game.

Is there a move I'll call an air dribble, where an aggressive defender presses and I open handed pat the ball over him to continue dribbling. Can I retrieve the ball and not dribble, but pass

Asked by rimbreaker almost 11 years ago

From the federation rule book, "During a dribble the ball may ve batted into the air provided it is permitted tp strike the floor before the is touched again with the dribbler's hand(s).

So, in you question you could retrieve the ball after it strikes the floor or continue dribbling PROVIDING you have not palmed or carried the ball.

On 9th team foul players line up in lane and one of the officials indicated two shots (double bonus) rather than 1:1. Player missed free throw 5 of 6 players in lane stay in position, one player grabs rebound and makes the basket. Ruling?

Asked by Tom Hansen over 11 years ago

There are five correctible errors in the NFHS rulebook: 1) failure to award a merited FT, 2) awarding an unmerited FT, 3) permitting the wrong player to shoot a FT, 4) attempting a FT at the wrong basket, & 5) Erroneously counting or cancelling a score.  Unfortunately in your scenario, the error was in announcing 2 free throws (he never progressed to awarding the erroroneous 2nd freet throw).  So, the error is not correctible, the basket counts, and now belongs to the opposing team.  Tough break because of bad officiating.