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

With the new rule in high school basketball with free throws, it is a violation to break the plane of the freethrow line before the ball makes contact, if you also foul the shooter at the same time do you enforce both the lane violation and the foul

Asked by Bob over 9 years ago

I believe the new rule (added in 2014-2015) allows players lined up along the free throw lane to break the plane as soon as the ball is released (like the NBA). If a defender violates it is a delayed violation (live ball) and so you would enforce the subsequent foul. However, if a lane violation is committed by a teammate of the shooter, the ball is dead and any subsequent unintentional fouls are not enforced.

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 about 9 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.

in the nba if you shoot a long,high arching shot as time runs out and the ball falls way short of the basket(no time on clock) but the ball bounces into the basket-does this count or is it a dead ball when it hits the floor?

Asked by feelingyou almost 9 years ago

When a shot is released before time runs out, it becomes dead when it becomes apparent that it will not go directly into the basket. Of course, when it hits the floor it is a dead ball, and therefore does not count if it then bounces into the hoop.

What's the rules for a coach to talk to a ref in the middle of the game and the ref is talking back

Asked by Sheryll Woolsey about 9 years ago

A ref cannot listen to a coach and do his job while a game is being played. So a ref should not respond during live balls. On the first dead ball i would approach the coach, listen to what the issue is, resolve it if legitimate, and explain that I will not listen or be interupted during live balls. If he insists on communicating while i have in game responsibilities i will consider it unsportsmanlike.

a player tried to block my shot, too far away so he lowered into my face. I told him it was cheap and a tech foul. He said not if I was shooting and he "tried" to block my shot. I said didnt matter, face guarding is face guarding shooting or not.

Asked by Darcy about 9 years ago

Rule 10, section 3, which delineates player technical fouls, Article 6d, "A player shall not commit an unsporting foul. This includes, but is not limited to purposely obstructing an opponent's vision by waiving or placing hands near his/her eyes."

the other team has 5 team fouls and fouls one of are players after the call a double tech is called 1 on each team do we still keep the ball or does it go to alternate possesion

Asked by murph over 8 years ago

It goes to the possession arrow.

Toward the end of the basketball game there was a foul called. The ref came over and said it was either on #20 or #21, he asked who had the most fouls. #21 did so he called the foul on #21 and it fouled him out. Was this the right procedure?

Asked by Heidi about 9 years ago

As of about 10 years ago, NFHS refs are allowed to consult with the scorer's table if they are unsure of who the foul is on, or who the shooter should be. However, it is sloppy officiating in a 3 man crew when none of the officials know who was involved in a foul. In my opinion, it is inappropriate to levy a foul based on personal foul counts. If the table knows with confidence who committed a foul then they can help. Otherwise, the official must determine who fouled, or else don't blow your whistle.