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
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.
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you can tap a ball. the main prohibition is that you cannot punch the ball with a fist.
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No, by rule they cannot, but it depends (and the following discussion assumes the offensive player does NOT have the ball):
Coaches teach the armbar technique but if the arm in the back prevents an offensive player from moving to another legal spot, it is holding.
If the armbar is set within the verticality the defender is entitled to, and the defender's forearm is used to keep from being pushed backward by the offensive player then there is no foul, or an offensive foul.
I always looked to see if the armbar moved foreward to push the offensive player off his spot, then it is a foul. If the armbar did not push the opponent, I would not call it
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Carrying the ball is one of ways the rule book states that a dribble comes to an end. So the very next dribble should be called as a double dribble if the player carried the ball prior to the subsequent dribble. My opinion is that refs have allowed too much carrying to go on - the dribbler gains too much control of the basketball if you let a player cup or turn over the ball.
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Bar Mitzvah DJ
Why are DJ's so unwilling to accommodate song requests?
Navy Officer (Former)
What's the most dangerous situation you were ever in?
CBP Officer
Do you catch less marijuana at the border now that it's being decriminalized in some States?
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!).
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In the violations section of the rule book regarding free throws, it states that the free throw shooter shall have neither foot beyond the vertical plane of the edge of the free throw line which is further from the basket.
This restriction ends when the ball hits the ring, backboard or until the free throw ends.
So no, a player cannot soar through the air leaping from the semi-circle to dunk a ball - he would have to cross the vertical plane of the free throw line.
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Fifteen minutes before the game, the officials are to take their positions on the court. An Umpire (U1 & U2) stand on the sideline at approximately the free throw line extended. While walking to their positions, all officials are to look for obstructions, short throw in areas, proper bench locations, and proper coaches boxes. The referee stands at half court. The umpires are tasked with 2 things: get a count of the players and look for faulty or illegal equipment (metal clips in hair, unauthorized uniform variances, etc.). The referee takes the player count from both umpires and between 10-12 minutes before gametime the referee checks the scorer's book to 1) ensure that the book has at least as many entries as there are players warming up, and 2) that the starters are designated in the bokk no later than 10 minutes before game time. Once the book is verified, the referee calls the umpires together along with team captains and coaches. The referee normally conducts the pregame with mandatory state-required admonishments. Then the referees go back to their positions and right before the nationa anthem stand in front of the scorers table.
I never found a coach trying to take advantage of equipment except there have been over or underinflated balls that I have adjusted. Many referees carry an inflation pin in case they have to let some air out of a game ball.
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