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

I have heard Refs tell players to get out of the lane before a three second violation is assessed. Isn't this giving the player an undue advantage? He should already know to get out of the lane.

Asked by Mike almost 12 years ago

Let me preface my answer by reminding you that I am an advocate of the Advantage Disadvantage philosophy of officiating basketball.  This philosophy advocates not stopping play to call a foul or a violation unless that action causes a change in the balance of the defense/offense posture.  

So, I tended to call very few 3 seconds in varsity basketball.  For me it was usually a late call, as in a player is camped in the lane and gets the rebound, I would call a late 3 seconds call.  If he didn't get the rebound play on.  But since play goes so fast, premptive officiating would suggest warning the player to get out of the lane before having to make an advantage/disadvantage decision.  

This is controversial in 2 ways: 1) you are right that at the varsity level players should not be "coached" by the ref's, and 2) not everyone believes in advantage/disadvantage.

I would warn a player once to stop him from camping out in there, but I am an advocate of advantage disadvantage officiating.

Another Backcourt question:- Once front court status is achieved. Team A passes to teammate, but hits the hand of team B (Defense) and then hits the hand of team A's teammate and goes backcourt. (neither team a or team b's player is in "control")

Asked by MJ about 12 years ago

Team control ends when there is a try or tip, an opponent secures control, or the ball becomes dead.  Hitting the hand of player B does not constitute control so I would say if the ball is picked up by team a in the backcourt it is a violation.

Hello, while on the offensive, is it legal to block/make contact with the defender's hand with your other hand when you dribble past him to stop him from gaining distance/protecting the ball?

Asked by Marv over 11 years ago

No this move is not legal because even though the offensive player has the right to the vertical space once he has attained a legal position on the floor, he cannot initiate contact by slapping the opponents arm.  

The defensive player can penetrate that vertical space but cannot make contact in that space.  So, a defender can reach into the vertical space of the offensive player to try to steal the ball as long as there is no contact.  But if the defender reaches into the vertical space and initiates contact it is a defensive foul.  

But what if the offensive player initiates contact inside his legally obtained space?  If for example, the offensive player jumps vertically and crashes into the defender - foul on the defender.  

But what if the offensive player slaps the defender's hand? The offensive player caused the contact, and most likely it occurred outside the offensiive player's vertical space, so  it is a foul on the offensive player for initiating contact.

I know that many coaches teach the dribbler to put up a bent arm as a barrier to the defender but when the dribbler initiates contact by pushing or slapping the defender it is a player control foul on the dribbler.  Most often, the dribbler is NOT entitled to the space where the defender is reaching in. In my opinion, this is not called enough.

By the way, there is no defintion in the rule book of "reaching in".  If reaching in was illegal, you could never steal the ball from a dribbler.

how many day will a high school player get suspended for if he got 2 technical fouls ?

Asked by john over 12 years ago

NFHS does not specify any post game punishments as these are left to the state organizations.  In Illinois, if a coach or player is disqualified because of 2 technical fouls or 1 flagarant technical foul, he is suspended from participating in the next scheduled contest.

Betond these, the state reserves the right to impose stiffer sanctions if necessary.

If a player get foul and its one n one bonus free throws but before the player shoot the free throw the bench of the team shooting free throws gets a technical. ...how that situation works?

Asked by Daniel over 12 years ago

If two fouls of the same kind occur simultaneously by opposite teams the free throws offset and are not shot.  In your example the fouls are different and are administered as they occurred.  So clear the lanes, shoot the one and one. Go to the other end and shoot the 2 Ts.  Ball out of bounds at half court.

A scrum in the lane for a loose ball. I noted the shot clock ran, but it went on long enough that a 3 second call could have been made. I understand no 3 seconds if it is a loose ball, but then why does the 24 run if no one has possession?

Asked by rodk over 11 years ago

In the NBA rulebook team possession ends when there is a legal field goal attempt OR the opponent gains possession. So until the defenders gain possession the 24 second clock keeps ticking.

Can a referee eject a fan from a AAU basketball because they're yelling out ref, that's walk8ng

Asked by Lan about 10 years ago

Yes.