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

Say I cross the key to come set a pick and then I pivot and roll toward the basket as the defender I am screening drops down but I keep contact with my butt/back side. Is that a moving screen?

Asked by Big D over 12 years ago

This is a close one.  Who is entitled to a space on the floor?  Answer:  the player who gets there before another player leaves his feet to get to the same space.  If in your example the defender is "riding" your backside in lockstep towards the basket, each of you are entitled to the straight line toward the endline.  So unless either player leans into the other and dislodges, I would say incidental, legal contact.

During an unmerited free-throw, the shot is missed and the team member rebounds and scores 2 points. Can the 2 points be cancelled as part of the corr. error (unmerited FT)? Rule 2.10 Art. 4 says "FT and activity during-cancel. Art 5 says count it.

Asked by Jim in Jacksonville over 11 years ago

No, the points should not be cancelled because the free throw ended "when it is certain the try was unsuccessful". The points were scored after the free throw ended, but before the error was recognized. When you are able to correct an error, "points scored, consumed time and additional activity, which shall occur prior to the recognition of an error shall not be nullified.

If there is a violation on one and one free-throw by the defense of the offense made the first free-throw violations on the second free-throw do we start the whole process over again like it never happened??

Asked by Marvin almost 13 years ago

Not sure what situation you are asking about.  If this does not answer your question please rephrase it.  So, if the free throw shooter has the ball and the defense commits a violation in a one-and-one, the referee should hold one arm parrallel to the floor to indicate a delayed call.  If the free throw goes in then the violation is ignored.  If the free throw is missed, then the one-and-one is restarted from the beginning.  If the ball was not at the disposal of the free throw shooter and a violation occurs, it should be ignored and the process reset.

If a person has the ball with two hands and keeps their pivot foot...can u touch the ball on the floor to abstain from falling? Does the ball touching the floor count as a dribble even though it never leaves your hands?

Asked by Ty over 12 years ago

Actually, a dribble ends when you put two hands on the ball.  But even if you have not dribbled already, putting two hands on the ball on the floor is normally called double dribble.

Explain the 3 second rule to me which by the way is never called .
When is the last time they called it in the college or pro level .

Do both feet have to leave the lane
And then it starts again when you come back into the land . how bout
In air

Asked by Paul m. over 10 years ago

The rulebook provisions of the 3 second rule is that a player cannot be in the lane for 3 seconds or more while his teamates have established team possession in their frontcourt.

If a player has either foot on the edge or line which defines yhe lane, he is in the lane. 

There is an interesting exception to a 3 count. A player can legally be in the lane for as much as 6 seconds as follows: he is in the lane for a count if 2 and receives the ball, the holds the ball for 2 counts and dribbles - he gets another 2 count. Then he must shoot .

But to your point, most experienced officials rarely call 3 seconds. You see newer referees at freshman games call it way too often. Most officials are taught that 3 seconds should only be called if and only if it results in an undue advantage. Thr principal is called Advantage Disadvantage. This means that when it is called it is ususlly a late call.. for example a player is camped out and normally when the shot goes up the 3 seconds restrictions are lifted, but if that player gets the rebound because he was there for more than 3 seconds the official should call it then.

A good preventative officiating move is for the official to shoo players out of the paint verbally to avoid having to call 3 secs too often.

While the ball is in flight for free throw the horn sounds incorrectly. What happens if the shot: a) is made; b) is missed?

Asked by Zephyr over 11 years ago

The buzzer does not make the ball dead. Players should play on until they hear a whistle. Once possession has been established or the basket made the refs should blow the whistle, stop play and check with the timer to find out why the horn sounded.

I am a registered official with two other USOC sports and have officiated on a National and World level. At a recent AAU State tourney I watched a ref behave in a way that would be an Ethics or Code of conduct Violation. Where do you report this?

Asked by AAU Basketball Dad over 11 years ago

I certainly encourage you to report this. Most people officiate because they love the game, and if you love the game you have a duty to do anything in your power to advance the avocation of refereeing. I suggest you find out who ran the AAU tournament and voice your concerns. Because of your background, meaning you have training and experience and do not appear to be simply a biased, ticked off untrained parent, the AAU tournament director should be willing to tell you who the assigner of the officials was for the tournament and you should contact him/her directly.

I think most states would not allow an official complaint at the state licensing level because AAU tournaments are not normally state sanctioned contests even though they only hire "patched state officials".