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

To follow up, "never award...doesn't matter if team is in bonus", well yea, of course...so is the ONLY player control violation when affected team gets possession A CHARGE, with no free throws even if in bonus???

Asked by MM about 12 years ago

Other than technical fouls, there are no free throws awarded when a team with possession of the ball commits a foul. 

If it is in the possession of the player committing the foul, then it is a player control foul (NO free throws).  If a player's team has possession and a foul is committed by a player on that team without the ball it is a team control foul (and again, NO free throws). 

A team or player control foul is never awarded free throws, and it makes no difference if the team is in bonus.  

Also, you might be asking if a charge is the only player control foul possible?  The answer is no.  A player with the ball might push, trip, hold, etc a defensive player and an offensive player without the ball might set an illegal screen, push, hold, etc in addition to charging. All of this is relative to NFHS rules.

3 questions please ...
1) Player A inbounds a pass but the pass is swatted back at him by his opponent(B)...the ball touches player A on a fly ... whose ball ?
2) While dribbling a player loses control and steps out of bounds - but the ball remains

Asked by Alex over 12 years ago

If A is standing out of bounds, and a ball that was in bounds touches him before hitting the floor out of bounds, A is considered to have caused the ball to go out of bounds. 

When a player receives a pass, can he put the ball on the floor and pick it up without ever letting go the ball. In other words, his two hands, the ball and the floor are in contact simultaneously.

Asked by Anthony Chevalier over 12 years ago

Let's suppose that a player takes two hands on top of the ball and pushes it to the ground - double dribble.  You see this sometimes when a player falls and use the ball to break the fall.  What if a player takes one hand and pushes the ball to the floor ? That is an interrupted dribble until the player picks it up, or can continue the dribble with one hand (like the Globetrotters).  If instead, he picks up the ball, he has used up the dribble and must pass or shoot from there.

Player has two free throws. Shoots the first then the other team calls a timeout. Is this fine or should the second free throw have been shot and then the timeout been granted when the other team gains possession?

Asked by Mike over 11 years ago

When the ball goes through the basket it is a dead ball and anyone can call timeout until the team takes possession (even after a made basket by your team while on offense, until your opponent picks up the ball).

After the first of 2 free throws there will not be team possession, so either team can call time out until the ball is at the disposal of the shooter for his second free throw.

On an inbound play when a ball is deflected back into the inbounder does the defense gain possession? I was under the impression (until tonight) that the player was not "live" until they entered the court after the pass.

Asked by Mike about 12 years ago

The inbounder is considered a player (not a sub or a bench personnel).  If the ball has achieved inbound status (in your case when the ball is touched or deflected by an inbounds player) and then the inbounder-player who status is still out of bounds, the ball is awarded to the opposite team of the inbounder, assuming the ball hit the inbounder first (before hitting the floor, bleechers, out of bounds referees, spectators).

There is no definition in the NFHS rule book of a live or dead player.  There is live/dead ball definition, but not player.  Team members are defined as players, substitutes or bench personnel.

Does the over the top of backboard rule apply to fan-shaped backboards? Can you post link of official ruling, thank you.

Asked by CASH over 12 years ago

Rule 7 in the NFHS rule book is the chapter on Out of Bounds and The Throw In.  Section 1, Article 2b states, "The ball is out of bounds when it passes over a rectangular backboard.   By excluding fan shaped backboards it means a ball passing over fan shaped is NOT out of bounds.

gametied and theres2.6 sec left on the clock whenthe opp team is fouled while dribb thenshoots. The appointed ref says on the ground foul the other ref comes in after foul is called & says no shooting foul and they shoot 2 free throws is thisallowed

Asked by Aziz Mikha almost 12 years ago

There is no provision in the NFHS book which grants disputes between referees except that the official designated as the "referee" (as opposed to official 1 and 2) has the responsibility to resolve uncovered issues.

When two referees disagree, the way it should work is as follows: Official 1 makes a call. Official 2 sees it a different way and the two officials privately discuss it.  Official 1 needs to be convinced.  If official 1 decides official 2's call is the correct one, then official 1 should signal the correct call, and be prepared to defend it with the coaches.