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
There is no provision for a referee to overrule another official in the Federation rules book, however in practice one official is designated as the referee in a crew with a responsibility to resolve simultaneous calls. My experience is that before the game this situation is discussed between officials. I think it is important to get the call correct, but each referee has his own area to watch. So if I make a call that one of my partners sees a different way I want that official to approach me, tell me what they saw, I give my perspective and then I decided if I will overrule my own decision. That way I can defend the final outcome. So, a few principles: 1) a ref should be watching their own area - that is why you have 2 or 3 of them, 2) there is some overlap and sometimes a second look sees something you can miss, and 3) officials should decide how they will consider overruling each other before the game. Based on your description (that the shot was clearly made from inside the 3 point line), regardless of how the ref's changed the call they apparently got it wrong.
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ok.
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No, by rule a coach has only 2 places he/she can be: 1) standing (or squating) in a 14 foot area out of bounds, in front of his/her bench known as the "coach's box" in states that have adopted this optional provision, or 2) sitting on his/her bench.
In practice, unless a coach is over-bearing to the officials or is gaining advantage (for example standing near the endline and directing players) most referees are not going to focus on a coach outside the box. The penalty is a direct technical foul and most refs do well to ask or warn the coach before calling a T.
If a coach is called for any direct technical foul, he/she is "seatbelted" to the bench and loses the ability to stand in the coach's box for the remainder of the game.
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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.
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Great question. In my career I have called very few T's on coaches. My approach is two-fold. 1) if the coach is working me up and down the court, I will talk calmly on a dead ball (never stop officiating on a live ball - ignore the coach). I will say, "coach, your constant rants are unwarranted, and may prevent me from doing my job. If it persists without specifics, I will be forced to call a "T" and have you seatbelted to the bench". 2) if the coach wants/needs to discuss a particular play on a dead ball, always in front of the bench, don't let the coach come on the court - walk him back to the bench, he will follow: a) I ask the coach what he saw on the play. If I saw something different, I tell him and explain that if I saw it his way, I would have called it his way, but I didn't.. b) If I saw the same thing, but believe he is misinterpeting a rule or a mechanic, I explain why I am calling it the way I did. For example, if a coach tells me that a player is camped out in 3 seconds and I have ignored it, I explain that I am applying advantage/disadvantage and will only call 3 seconds if it is material to the play - so he may be technically right, but that is my call. c) If I have booted the call, I admit it to the coach and tell him that since calling (or ignoring) a play, I have replayed it in my mind, and think I made an error. They always stop the harrassment when you admit an error. It is tough when you are young - they treated me differently as my hair grew gray than when I first started out - sure, my judgement improved, but also coaches usually try to push around young officials. In summary, ref the best you can. Be honest with yourself about blown calls, and have the strength to explain your calls - if you can't explain your calls, you should not be wearing the stripes.
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In NFHS rules you NEVER award free throws for a player control foul UNLESS the foul is also flagrant (which I have never seen). It doesn't matter if the team is in the bonus.
As far as over the back, you should know that there is no foul defined in the rule book for over the back. Illegal contact (pushing someone from behind, for example) is either a common foul, a team or player control foul, foul in the act of shooting, technical, intentional or flagrant. If the ball is loose (also not defined in the NFHS rule book) - I think you mean no team control - then illegal contact is a common foul and free throws will be shot if in the bonus.
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In high school rules, a player can retrieve the ball after a "legitimate" shot attempt without hitting anything. For example, you could retrieve an airball shot even though the ball has not been touched by another player. However, f the throw to the backboard is not a shot attempt and a player purposely throws it off the backboard, I would call that travelling - much like tossing the ball forward to yourself and moving down the court.
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