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

While on offense (a teammate has ball), can a defender follows and put his arm straight out and push you out of the way even you do not walk into his space. Is it considered boxing out?

Asked by Alan over 10 years ago

No it is not a proper box out.  Boxing out is when a defender moves legally to a space that an opponent is trying to get to, thereby boxing him out.  Using your arm to create space (whether by the offense or defense) is a foul.

Guy gets post up pass, with both hands bounces ball once,fakes, then dribbles...double dribble every time. But did first offense occur on the two handed single bounce, or dribble after his fake?

Asked by rimbreaker almost 11 years ago

A two handed bounce is double dribble.  So is dribbling a second time after holding the ball.  Both are violations.

If a player rebounds the ball and comes down with the ball and loses balance so that he touches the ground with the ball but does not dribble - is that considered a dribble so that he cannot dribble after that?

Asked by Coach Hoops over 10 years ago

If the player comes down with both hands on the ball it is double dribble. If the player has only one hand on top of the ball it is a dribble and he cannot dribble again.

Team A scores with 4 seconds left, putting them up by two; clock is running. Team A bench member steps out (slightly) onto the court in celebration as the time expires. Do you assess a T to Team A and give Team B a chance to tie the game?

Asked by JiminJax over 10 years ago

If the bench encroached on Team B's ability to make a play then yes, I would call a T. But normally, the desperate attempt will not occur anywhere near the bench and I would ignore the potential infraction.

Hi Ref, In street ball games you may see player A toss the ball off of the defenders forehead (player B) then it bounces back to player A. I know you can bounce the ball off of the defender in general but is it ever considered a foul?

Asked by P. Johnston over 10 years ago

There is no prohibition against bouncing a ball off an opponent. EXCEPT if the ball is thrown maliciously and then it would be an unsportsmanlike technical foul. Referee's judgement as to what severity would cross the line.

An offensive player stopped the dribble. he then dropped the ball, and could not pick it up. As the defensive player was going to get the ball, the offensive player was "boxing" him out, preventing the player from getting to the ball. Illegal?

Asked by Ed about 10 years ago

Why couldn't he pick up the ball? Even after a dribble, a player can fumble the ball and recover it as long as it is accidental and there is no purposeful dribble. Having said that:

A player can box out anywhere on the court as long as he moves to a spot before the opposite team player moves toward that spot.

Ball inbounded under offensive basket - thrown towards the backcourt where an offensive player touches (doesnt control) before going over half court line - is this backcourt violation?

Asked by webstone over 10 years ago

You need to establish front court possession before you can have a back court violation. Answer is no.