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

In a bonus situation (single or double), player A gets fouled and has to shoot free throws for the orange team, but instead player B for the orange team goes and shoots for him and makes them both. If there is a call, what is it?

Asked by Anonymous about 9 years ago

Putting the wrong player on the line for free throws is one of 5 correctable errors IF it is recognized by an official no later than during the first dead ball after the clock has properly started. If the wrong person was awarded free throws and it is recognized in a timely fashion, the free throws are cancelled and the correct player is awarded the free throws.So, for example the wrong player makes one of two free throws and then the clock is started and a team makes a field goal (the ball is dead after a made basket). Once the other team obtains the ball to put it in play (the ball is live when it is at the disposal of the throw in player) it is too late to correct the error.You can see what a mess this is - best advice for officials, get it right the first time.

Can I email you a video and can you tell me if it is travelling? I have an ongoing argument and I need to put it to rest. Thank you.

Asked by Mike over 9 years ago

Sure. put in your email address and I will contact you.

Player gets called for a foul which results in a spot throw in. Two technical fouls are then called when the ball is dead one on each team. Would the ball be then put in play at POI or do you go to the possession arrow?

Asked by DW24 about 9 years ago

The technical fouls offset and we go to the possession arrow for a throw in at half court.

Team A shoots the ball. A long rebound to the 3pt line. Both teams trying for possession, Team A tips the ball into backcourt. Team A secures rebound in backcourt. Is this over and back? There was no possession in front court after shot.

Asked by Rmwttn about 9 years ago

If team A controlled the tap, then they established team control, and it would be a backcourt violation. If in the judgement of the officials team A did not control the tap, then no violation.

While in the air, grabbing a rebound, in one motion I land on both feet and the ball touches the ground with it in both my hands, never letting it go, what can't I do?

Asked by Audelio over 8 years ago

If your hands are on top of the ball pushing it to the floor it is double dribble. If the ball drops and you pick it up it could be a muff, and if you lift one foot the other will be the pivot. Then you can dribble.

When does an assist begin & end. ex. If a player inbounds the ball to another player & the second player dribbles down court & scores does the first player still get an assist?

Asked by Jim almost 10 years ago

This is a tough question. There was a Wall Street Journal article which addressed the grey areas of what an assist is. Here is a quote from that article:

"The NBA statistician's manual says an assist should be "credited to a player tossing the last pass leading directly to a field goal, only if the player scoring the goal responds by demonstrating immediate reaction to the basket." It sounds simple enough. As assist is a pass made to a shooter who scores. But when you try to apply this definition during a game, it gets murky. There are no details about how many steps shooters can take after receiving a pass; nothing about shot-fakes, head-fakes or pivot moves and no hard guidelines on how much time can elapse between the pass and the shot.

I jump out of bounds to save a ball, ball gets saved (bounces a couple of times), I go in bounds to get the ball. I dribble the ball then I get called for travel. Is this a bad call? I haven't established clear possession yet.

Asked by tonyastro about 9 years ago

If you directed the ball purposely (saved the ball from going out of bounds) by redirecting the ball in a controlled way that constitutes possession. Ref's judgement as to whether you controlled the loose ball, or not.