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

Hi, so nowhere in the college rule book does it mention throwing/slamming the ball down is a technical foul, yet it gets called a tech regularly. Seems it could be used very arbitrarily against a team. Why is it a tech when it's not in the rule book?

Asked by Laura almost 10 years ago

The rule book does not prohibit tossing the ball to the ref, nor does it prohibit a player from talking to the ref...yet if either is done in an unsportsnanlike way it could be a technical. If you slam the ball to protest a call most refs will call a t. So it goes to the judgemeny of the ref as to whether an action is unsportsmanlike.

In a high school game in 1963: Player A is fouled severely on a shot & gets two free throws. He is injured on the play and leaves the game not to return. Player B makes both free throws & stays in game. Question: Who is entitled to the points??

Asked by Lonnie H. Duke over 10 years ago

Player B is awarded the points for the free throws he makes. There are no points awarded for drawing a foul - at least not in NFHS rules.

O1 is standing in his lane and is about to get a three second count when his teammate takes a shot that never touches the rim or backboard. O1 catches the ball and then dribbles in the lane before passing. Is this a three second violation?

Asked by Alfredo over 10 years ago

In NFHS rules, the three second restriction is lifted when a legitimate try for the basket goes up. Note that it does not say "when the ball hits the ring". So the first part of your question's answer is no, there is no three second violation because once a try goes up there is no team possession anymore. Secondly, in NFHS rules any player can retrieve an air ball shot as long as it was deemed a legitimate try. Once retrieved, team and player possession are reestablished, and he gets a new 3 second count if he is still in the lane.

can i box out an opponent before their offensive player takes a shot ?

Asked by Kobe54 about 10 years ago

Boxing out is the process of legally getting to a spot on the floor before an opponent gets to the same spot. Most people think of this when you achieve inside rebounding position, and you are able to anticipate your opponent's movement in such a way that you prevent him from moving around you by "blocking" his way. Note this definition is without specification regarding a shot or no shot.

In my experience, the player blocking out is tagged with a foul when he blatantly backs up and dislodges his opponent when making contact, but not usually when both players move laterally.

Hi Ref, can a player blow in another players face? In my daughters game player B1 was playing defense by standing in player A1's face (within 12 inches) even when play was stopped and would repeatedly blow in A1's face. Legal? Thx

Asked by P_Johnston almost 10 years ago

I would warn the player that blowing air in the face of an opponent is unsportsmanlike and the next occurance would be a technical foul.

As a referee, is there a code of conduct in place that would disqualify a parent from refereeing his own sons AAU championship game? The opposing team attempted to have a parent ref his sons game. Isn't there rules against this?

Asked by Kaylee over 10 years ago

I am not an expert on AAU rules but common sense would tell anyone to avoid officiating your son's game in competitive play. It would be different if it was a "house" league, but this is inappropriate for traveling basketball.

I have a question. Say a player jumps to attempt a 3 pointer. He is fouled and then decided to dribble or pass after the foul instead of finish the shot attempt. Are 3 free throws awarded? Or is it side out of bounds?

Asked by Travis almost 10 years ago

If, in the opinion of the referee the player started the "habitual movement to shoot at the basket" and is fouled it is a shooting foul even if the player cannot complete the shot or dumps the ball off.