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

If a player is suspended for 1 game and his team receives a win as a result of a forfeit, should he be allowed to play the following game without actually sitting out a game?

Asked by JT about 9 years ago

I think this depends on the state interpretation of its own rules. My opinion is that the player should not sit out the game after a forfeit because it is not the player's fault that a team did not show for the game of his punishment. But i see it the other too.

Offensive player catches the ball and jumps like he's shooting a jumpshot (has yet to dribble). Can he use his dribble while in the air and drive or is putting the ball on the floor now a travel?

Asked by Philip over 9 years ago

The player needs to begin the dribble before lifting the pivot foot, so if a player jumps before dribbling he only has 2 options...shoot or pass before landing on the floor. Starting a dribble after lifting your pivot foot is travelling although not usually called in the nba.

Do you think 3 second rule should be abandoned like palming and traveling? Would it change the game?

Asked by srkaren10587@msn.com over 9 years ago

No, it should be called only when it affects the outcome. By the way, travelling and palming (carrying the ball) are still violations.

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 about 9 years ago

It goes to the possession arrow.

should i still catch or fallow it up the ball after i take a shot without touching it on the ring or board?but i still cannot dribbling it.

Asked by marvz about 10 years ago

In NFHS rules a shooter can be the first to retrieve an "air ball shot" as long as it was a legitimate try for a basket (in the opinion of the officials).

To clarify; if the ball is rolling towards out of bounds, a player stops it and he goes out of bounds ; can he come back in and pick it up?

Asked by Donny about 9 years ago

Again, if in the opinion of the referee, the player purposely stepped out of bounds then it is a violation. If his momentum carried him out, or if he was pushed then no violation.

That seems to be the generic answer to the slamming/spiking the ball issue. So shouldn't it state this in the rule book? Otherwise, I agree, it could be used arbitrarily by some less than idea ref to punish one team over another.

Asked by Daniel almost 10 years ago

The rule book does not spell out all the ways of committing a technical foul. I believe that working your way up through ranks sifts out most referees with poor judgement and thin skin, not always but at most levels it is so competitive that the better officials tend to move forward and ref the better games. That is how the system cultivates good judgement - and I'll admit there are officials who come in with a chip on their shoulders and stretch their judgement unfairly against a team or player, but it is the assignment chairman's job to weed out these kind of officials.