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 "carrying the ball" not in the rule book anymore, because most all dribbles are such?

Asked by daveb about 11 years ago

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.

B-1 commits fifth foul and is disqualifies. after the warning horn, B-6 replaces. B-1. as B-6 is beckoned into the game A-6 reports to ener the game. the timer sounds the horn. official denies A-6 from enering the game since the warning horn had soun

Asked by Mbehart@aol.com over 11 years ago

OK, we need some common sense here.  Normally after a time out and the warning horn sounds, a player would be denied entering the game.  This is to eliminate delays due to substitution gamesmanship (in pro hockey for example the home team has "last substitute").  But in the case where a coach has 30 seconds to replace a fouled out player this rule should not, and does not apply to either team.  If common sense prevails, the officials should let  A-6 in the game. 

When in the post, can the defender use his foreram as a barricade on your back to stop u from moving ?

Asked by Omar about 11 years ago

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

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 about 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!).

Before a hockey game the refs check the nets. Do b-ball refs have a routine? Such as measuring rim height, nets, clocks. Have you ever found anything that might have advantaged a team that needed correcting?

Asked by Rimbreaker over 10 years ago

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.

What is the rule for tapping a loose ball when recovering a steal? I saw a call tonight that stopped a fast break because a player tapped the ball to a teammate with the palm of their hand??? How does the rule state this violation? A first for me!

Asked by Cliff about 10 years ago

you can tap a ball. the main prohibition is that you cannot punch the ball with a fist.

This confuses me. Why isn't an obviously deliberate foul committed by a team trailing or by a team with fouls to give considered flagrant? I've seen guys get wrapped up with both arms, and no flagrant foul call. Thanks.

Asked by Rodk over 10 years ago

It is confusing because there are different philosophies of how to call these situations. The rules clearly state that a foul intentionally committed should be called intentional and administered with 2 free throws and the ball at point of interruption.

Most referees will avoid calling intentional fouls if the foul is not severe, the player attempted to go after the ball, and/or did not grab the player. Here is the dilemma...if you wait to make sure a foul is a foul when the whole gym is expecting one then it looks bad not to call an intentional and play can get rough.  If you have a quick whistle on first contact it looks like you are aiding the losing team in their attempt to foul their way back into the game.  

I wish I had a better answer for you.  This is one of the toughest judgement calls in the game.