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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651 Questions

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Last Answer on September 20, 2019

Best Rated

player is out of bounds player in bounds throws the ball and hits the player out of bounds who's ball is it

Asked by peanut almost 11 years ago

If player A1 is in bounds and throws the ball which hits out of bounds player B1 the throw in is awarded to team A.

Same scenario as before (backcourt violation) Player B does not touch the ball until his feet are established in the front court. Is this legal or is it still a back court violation? Thank you for your response.

Asked by Coaching Youth about 11 years ago

Once both of the player's feet land in the front court and then he receives the ball there is no violation.

How much time a person need to go from a beginner level in basketball to the NCAA D-1 or NCAA D-2?
Specifically if this is a man who's 1.9 meters tall, weights 76 kilograms, but at the start isn't an athlete whatsoever.

Asked by Serge almost 11 years ago

It is impossible to say or even generalize/ For example the University of Illinois, a D1 Big Ten school had scholarship player Nnanna Egwu who was born in Nigeria and didn't play basketball until 8th grade. He was considered a "project" when he was offers a scholarship. He had a good, not stellar collage career and he is trying to play pro ball but has of yet not hooked on with a team in the NBA. By the way, in college Nnanna played at 6 foot 9. The problem with being 6'2" and 165 lbs is not many schools will take on a "project" who hasn't played much ball. A lot depends on how much time a player has to develop and where the development takes place. Seems to me that most well recruited middle schoolers or even high schoolers play for very competitive AAU teams. If you want to be the best, you have to compete with the best.

A dribbling player loose control of the ball and hits the referee. He catches the ball with two hands and continues to dribble. Is this a traveling violation?

Asked by Max over 11 years ago

The referee is considered part of the floor, so if the player catches the ball with 2 hands after dribbling and bouncing off a referee, it is double dribble.  

If this was not the rule then the following could happen:

if a player was trapped with an official nearby, he could bounce the ball off the official and get a new dribble. This is not the intention, so the referee is part of the floor, and a player DOES NOT get a new dribble after bouncing off the ref.

5th grade boys basketball. Running clock 20 minutes first half, 9 minutes left and realized teams going to wrong goal. Should we have kept going or made them correct?

Asked by Don Pritchett over 11 years ago

Stop the game. Turn the teams around. All points fouls time outs which occurred stand.

When entering a ball from the side at half court can the player I bounding move side to side.

Asked by Jcush almost 11 years ago

On a spot throw in (as opposed to a throw in after a basket), the in-bounder is required have at least one foot on or above (if jumping) a 3 foot wide area parallel to the boundry line. This same in-bounder can move away from the court until he hits the bleachers, wall or any other obstruction in a perpendicular area to the boundry line as long as he stays within the 3 foot wide area.

Also note that during a throw-in, the in-bounder cannot be called for traveling - that is he can move within the 3 foot area without dribbling.

An offensive player is next to basket knees bent ready to jump. Defensive player has his arms and hands over guy/girl with ball. offensive player jumps and pushes ball through defenders arms with his hands and arms. who is or if the foul on?

Asked by dahszil over 10 years ago

Foul is on defensive player. Principle of vertical space.