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 tonight's Vandy/Wichita NCAA tourney game, a technical foul was called on the Vandy coach for protesting a non-foul call on a shot one of his players just made. Wichita State was awarded 2 ft's, but the ball was then given to Vandy. Why?

Asked by Brian Zdanowski over 9 years ago

NCAA has a list of technicals and penalties. In NFHS rules all technicals are 2 free throws plus ball, at the mid court line. NCAA is point of interruption. It is confusing.

Where does it say that a referee can through someone out of an high school basketball game? I need it in black and white.

Asked by Dana almost 10 years ago

Your question makes me think you have been tossed out of a gym and you object. Here it is in black and white.

In the NFHS rulebook, Rule 2 Officials and Their Duties, Section 8 Officials Additional Duties, Article 1, "The officials shall penalize unsporting conduct by any player, coach, substitute, team attendant or follower.In the same section under Article 1, "NOTE: The home management or game committee is responsible for spectator behavior, insofar as it can be reasonably be expected to control the spectators.The officials may rule fouls on either team if its spectators act in such a way as to interfere with the proper conduct of the game … When team supporters become unruly or interfere with the orderly progress of the game, the officials shall stop the game until the home management resolves the situation and the game can proceed in in an orderly manner."

In practice the way this works is an official notifies home management that a fan's behavior is unacceptable and the officials ask that home management eject the fan. Home management always complies because to refuse would force the official to penalize the home team starting with technical fouls potentially leading to a forfeited game. I only asked home management to throw out a handful of people in 20 years of officiating and they never refused my requests.

I've seen players pass to a teammate who establishes himself out of bounds on the baseline. Can this occur ONLY after made baskets, ONLY under your own basket, or is this even allowed when inbounding under your opponents basket?

Asked by Philip over 9 years ago

This play is only valid after a made basket or after a time out after a made basket. 

It is not allowed on a spot throw in because the spot is defined by a 3 foot wide area. On a spot throw in, as soon as the original player hands or throws it to an out of bounds player it is a violation.

Player is in-bounding ball - fakes a pass that cross plane and defensive player touches the ball - what is the call? Also, is defense allowed to steal or knock ball since ball crossed the plane but still in possession of in-bounder?

Asked by rph almost 10 years ago

If an in bounder crosses the inbounds plane the defender has the right to touch the ball or rip it out.

Referee misses the bonus on a foul and play continues for 20 seconds. Referee realizes mistake and stops play to allow player to shoot the bonus one and one freethrow. Do you put the 20 sec back on the clock?

Asked by Dave almost 10 years ago

It is correctable as you describe the play. Put the correct player at the line. All fouls and points which occurred before the error is recognized stand, but no time is put back on the clock.

Since im not sure how to reply to your answer on 4 shoots for a technical let me rephrase, there is only one technical and there are 9 team fouls makeing the technical the 10th does this situation recieve 4 free throws

Asked by Brandon Jackson almost 10 years ago

No, you do not award 4 free throws in this scenario. While tehnicals count against team foul bonus totals you do not get a technical and a common foul for the same action.To illustrate, let's assume there are 8 team fouls on team b and a technical foul is called. Team a gets 2 free throws and the ball, and the bonus count goes to 9. Then on the next play team b commits a common foul. Team a shoots 2 free throws because the count goes to 10.

if the buzzer sounds at the end of the game and the ref blows her whistle at the same time, can she extend the time on the clock to give a team two foul shots?

Asked by Antonietta over 9 years ago

Even though the buzzer sounds if the shot left the shooters hand before time expired, the ball is live and the shot counts. If the shooter was fouled in the act of shooting at the end of the game, if making any of the free throws could matter to the outcome of the game the lane is cleared and the free throws are attempted.