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

Saw this at Wis State Tourney..after basket guy takes ball out throws to teammate near halfcourt who takes off from frontcourt, catches ball, lands both feet in backcourt..no O&B was called which I thought was correct.

Asked by imaxfli about 12 years ago

When you catch a ball in the air you are considered to be in the court where you jumped from.  So you might think that this play is a violation, but there are two exceptions ... 1) by a defensive player intercepting the ball, and 2) by either team on a throw in.

Ball in the air at half court and I get fouled attemptimg to tip it toward my basket is it then a three-shot foul? It would have to be under your definition because if it goes in and we're in the bonus, awarding one and one is too crazy and severe.

Asked by dhatch over 12 years ago

Read my answer to the above question, and add this.  If I was observing an official who called a foul on a half court tip a shooting foul, I would do all I could to keep him from working a varsity (also a sophomore) game.  I will grant you that a player can go through the habitual shooting motion of a shot anywhere on the court and if fouled it could be a shooting foul, even from the back court (as in the end of the quarter), but a tip from half court is unskilled and undeserving of a shooting foul - I would always call a halfcourt tip foul a common foul.

can Substitute A6 enter the court wearing a leg compression sleeve for medical reasons

Asked by candyman007 over 11 years ago

The answer is yes.  A rule change for this coming season (2014-15)  in NFHS rules states: Arm sleeves, knee sleeves, lower leg sleeves and tights are permissable as long as they meet the color and logo restrictions.

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 12 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. 

Can a coach throw a student out of a game?

Asked by Ellis over 12 years ago

see the answer below.  In summary, Home Management can eject anybody.  Usually the AD works closely with the coach so in practical terms, the answer is yes.

Say someone fouled me, and i receive 2 free throw shots. If I jump over the free throw line and make my shot before landing does it count? Also, is it legal to dunk a free throw shot if physically able?

Asked by Shane over 12 years ago

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.

R ball...in 2 ref high school BB should only the "under" ref look for and call 3 second violations, so the upper ref won't have to waste his time looking for it and can look for other violations????

Asked by Mark M over 12 years ago

In a two man crew there are occasions when the trail official should call three seconds.  Imagine the ball in the corner near the sideline and endline (baseline), on the lead official's side of the court (the lead is the ref on the endline). The lead should drift toward the sideline with the body angled away from the basket.  That leaves the trail official responsibility to look into the paint, and possibly call 3 seconds.  By the way, I rarely called 3 seconds in Varsity games - because I think it is the perfect advantage/disadvantage call.  That is even though someone is camped out for 3+ seconds, I would only interrupt the game for 3 seconds if that player received the ball or captured the rebound.