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

if a player dribbles the basketball, while dribbling gets it knocked out of their hands, picks up the ball with both hands, than dribbles again, is that a double dribble?

Asked by djvyce about 11 years ago

The dribble ends when the ball is knocked away, and so does player possession. So, if you pick up the ball and dribble it is not double dribble.  You can pick up a ball with two hands as long as you are lifting up.  If you push down with two hands it is double dribble.

If yo shoot from behind the board but yet inside the court, ball bounces on the top of the board and goes into the court / is that out of bounds or not?

Asked by a.stjepanovic@gmail.com over 10 years ago

If the ball goes over the top of a rectangular backboard in either direction it is out of bounds.

If the ball goes over the top of a fan backboard it stays in play.

If the opponent of the free thrower commits a lane violation and the free throw is an air ball, would the free thrower get a substitute throw or is this considered a simultaneous violation?

Asked by L. Rouse over 10 years ago

I would consider it a simultaneous violation. If there was to be a second free throw, then shoot it. If not, go to the alternating possession arrow.

However, if the opponent committed the violation BEFORE the free throw shooter released the ball then the first is penalized and the second is ignored.

on a break pass a player knocks ball down w/ r-hand, holds ball w/ both hands( defender in front of him), then dribbles left past d. Isn't the knock down his first dribble?

Asked by rimbreaker over 10 years ago

If the player controlled the pass and purposely knocked the ball down, then it began his dribble.  If the player reached out to catch the ball and the ball fell to the ground, then it is a muff and did not start the dribble.  It is a judgement call by the official.

On March 31st 2014 the Climb CDC “Thunder” played a 7:00 pm game at Gaston Point Community Center against the “Shot Callaz”.

This was a game sanctioned by your league.

During the game there was a bench clearing incident where several players fr

Asked by LIL DOG about 11 years ago

If NFHS rules are being enforced,  leaving the bench to join the fight is a flagrant technical foul resulting in immediate player ejection.  However, if more than one player from a team leaves the bench the other team shoots only 2 technical shots even though multiple players are ejected from the game. In Illinois all the ejected players are also suspended for the next game.  AAU and other league rules may differ.

Fouls are for doing something wrong, not for doing something "right".

Asked by daveb about 11 years ago

That is true, but if a referee called everything technically the game would be unplayable and unwatchable.  For example, the rule used to be that on a throw in, if the player didn't take the shortest path onto the court after throwing in the ball in, it was a technical foul.  I never called it that way, and never worked with anyone who did.  Finally, NFHS changed this action to a violation and now it gets called.  Likewise, any carrying the ball, by rule,  is an illegal dribble.  But if a player is bringing the ball up from the backcourt unguarded and is turning the ball over, I am not going to call that until he is guarded.  (Officiating principle = Advantage Disadvantage).

I get that you are annoyed that a team can get back in a game by fouling a team who cannot shoot free throws, but while I think intentional fouls need to be clarified, I believe most people do not take your literal interpretation of the game and don't mind "going for the ball" common fouls as a legitimate strategy.  Again, I say a shot clock would remove much of the reason to purposely foul.

Okay my next question is what warrants a ref to eject a fan? Like what actions must a fan comment to warrant an eject? And does a warning have to be given first?

Asked by Ronald Poke over 10 years ago

There are no specifications in the rule book as to when a referee asks home management to eject a fan. It is very subjective, and it does not have to have a warning. I drew the line at personal attacks - to another fan, the other team, my partners, or to me. I never minded if fans boo'd my calls, but as soon as it got personal or vial, that's when I had someone ejected.

Let's stop beating around the bush here. Tell me what you did to get tossed out of your son or daughter's game.