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
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.
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.
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.
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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Indirectly referees and the home school have the authority. In NFHS rules there is a function called home management. It is usually the athletic director, or a representative of the AD. The rule book states that in the absence of a designated home management person, the home team head coach will assume that function.
Directly from the rule book: The officials shall penalize unsporting behavior by player, coach, substitute, team attendant or FOLLOWER.
Further the book states: ... the officials may rule fouls on either team if its supporters act in a way to interfere with the proper conduct of the game.
It also cautions the officials to be careful applying penalties so as not to unfairly penalize a team.
When I officiated, I never engaged in an expulsion dialog with a fan. I simply went to home management (the AD) and said something like, "the guy in the third row with the blue shirt has to go. Home management always complied with my request and escorted the unruly fan out (or used an on site police officer to be the escort) and the AD often apologized about a overzealous home team fan.
I don't like the pro game because of how it has evolved, especially in the east. Post a big player on the block, slow the game down to half court, never full court press, winners are too predictable and players turn on/off hustle instead of playing hard the entire game. So I am with you. if I had to pick a player whose game I admire it would Kevin Durant. I despise how Wade, James and Bosh colluded to put their team together, and could have started a league-ruining trend. I like the college D1 game. There are upsets and coaches can piece together unique game plans to try to win. Much less predictibility.
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.
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