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 blocks a shot, but follows through and hits the shoulder of the player shooting, is it a clean block or a foul?

Asked by David almost 11 years ago

Normally, contact after a blocked shot would be considered incidental. So unless the contact is intentional or extremely harsh I would let it go.

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 almost 11 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.

So basically to protect myself from now on ill be recording all my daughter games. And what can be done as a parent when a ref officates a terrible game?

Asked by Ronald Poke almost 11 years ago

The assignment chairperson should never entertain your tape. Your coach probably tapes the games and the coach (or athletic director) should deal with the quality of the officiating. In my opinion you are getting in too deep, without a real understanding of how the officials are trained. For example, they may see what you are yelling about but they may be making an "Advantage Disadvantage" judgement (this is discussed in a previous question).

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 over 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.

I was fouled and the ref under the basket called 2 shots. Shot and missed the first one, caught it and threw it back to the ref. The side ref said it was a one and one after I gave it to the ref and they ended up calling it a jump ball.

Asked by Harlin Wolfe over 11 years ago

Since awarding the 2nd free throw was in error, and even if it was correctible, play resumes from the point discovered, and all points scored and fouls remain intact.  So the ref should have dropped the ball and play on.  There is no provision to use a jump ball to fix a misapplication of a rule.

As a practical matter, awarding a jump is less awkward than the chaos of handing it correctly.

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

Asked by daveb over 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.

If an offensive player goes to dribble the ball and it hits the referee and goes out of bounds which team gets the out of bounds possesion?

Asked by CS over 10 years ago

The ball is awarded opposite the team which touched the ball last before the ball went out of bounds. The referee is considered part of the floor where he/she is standing.

Team A dribbles the ball off the ref's foot and then it goes out of bounds, Team B gets a throw in.