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 there a rule about which referee gives the ball to the foul shooter - does it have to be the ref under the basket throwing it to him or can it be one of the outside refs handing it to him?

Asked by seth over 11 years ago

It is not a rule, but rather it is a mechanic perscribed in the NFHS Handbook.  It used to be that the trailing referee would hand the ball to the free throw shooter for the first attempt and the lead (on the endline) would administer the rest of the free throws.  Maybe ten years ago, it was changed so that the proper mechanic is for the lead official administer all free throws from the baseline.  Most referees cannot advance if they do not follow the perscribed mechanics.  Most importantly, mechanics set a consistent way of working a game, so that you can easily work with people you have never been assigned with, and secondly, following perscribed mechanics sets a professional expectation for coaches and assignment chairpersons to evaluate (in addition to judgement, hustle, and rules knowledge).

I heard that if you shoot the ball after a ref blows the whistle to call a foul or something, you can get a technical for shooting after the ref stops the play. Is that true?

Asked by emmers about 10 years ago

If the ref calls for the ball you should give it up. If you defy the ref it could be construed as disrespectful by a thin-skinned official. So yes, it could be called. BUT I never have made that call and I advise refs not to.

How do you check a ball for proper inflation at game time?

Asked by rimbreaker over 10 years ago

Some officials carry a small gauge, but most referees hold the ball head-high (about 5 3/4 feet high) and let it drop.  It should bounce up to the official's elbow when the upper arm is held parallel to the floor.  Higher bounce than the elbow means over-inflated, bouncing under the elbow means it needs more inflation.  The referee usually checks the game ball after making sure the book contains at least the number of players who are warming up (and the starters are designated),  around 10 minutes before gametime.  Try it sometime when you are on a wooden floor.  Note, if the game is being played on an indoor soft rubberized floor (as in underclass games in the fieldhouse), the ball will need more air than on a wooden floor.

Opening tip. Our center tipped the ball along the midcourt line but no one touched it before it went out of bounds. Sure, ball to the other team now, but what about arrow? The ruling was the arrow for other side b/c our center "possessed" ball. Thx.

Asked by RodK about 11 years ago

Sounds like a bad call.  The center for Team A does not establish team possession by tipping the ball, but by knocking the ball out Team B gets the ball.  Because neither team had possession and B got the first ball the arrow is set for Team A's possession on the next one.

A player had control of the ball and fell to the ground, but he used the ball to brace his fall. He maintained possession, but the ball hit the ground first. Is this traveling or would the ball hit the ground count as a dribble and play continue?

Asked by Joe - Youth Ref about 10 years ago

If the player had two hands on the ball and pushed it to the ground it is double dribble. If the play had one hand on top of the ball and pushed it to the ground it would be a dribble. If he then picked the ball up, he could not dribble again.

when a player dribbles behind another player (much like when a running back follows a blocker) as when coming up the court (or anytime) and the non-dribbling player obstructs the would be defender - is this a moving (illegal) screen?

Asked by Ralph Sita about 11 years ago

yes.

But the other teams girls had the ball and fell with it not tripping over another players foot just fell down [now we all know thats a travel easy call no brainer] refs didnt see it that way i stood up in surprise and asked wasnt that a travel?

Asked by Ronald Poke over 10 years ago

seems reasonable...