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

Honestly,I think I was ejected from the game because there was a break in game play a T.O was called. So when play was about to resume I told my daughter and our other pg to just keep driving hard and make the ref blow his whistle and do his job

Asked by Ronald Poke about 11 years ago

In a local baseball league, they implemented a rule that if a player or parent was tossed from a game, the player was ruled ineligible until the parent umpired a game at his/her level of choice. The league has a handful of letters of apology from parents who tried (quite unsuccessfully) to umpire games.

If I might be so bold as to suggest that you become patched for basketball in your state, attend summer camp to get trained, and work some games next year. You will gain a better understanding of the game, probably help your daughter's game and you will watch her play a little calmer.

A team in the bonus has a player fouled and the fouling player is called for a flagrant foul, does the fouled player go to the line after the technical shots for the one-and-one or do they just get possession out-of-bounds. Is the technical 2 shots?

Asked by Whitey almost 12 years ago

1) If the foul is called as a flagrant technical, then  2 shots + the ball,

2) If the foul is a common foul, and then a technical foul also is called, then:

shoot the free throws in the order the fouls occurred. So clear the lanes for a one + one.  Then any player shoots the 2 Ts. Then ball at half court.

High school technicals are always 2 free throws, unless they are cancelled out by simultaneous technicals by both teams.

What would the penalty be for a high school basketball player if he got mad and spit on one of the referees?

Asked by Tee almost 13 years ago

I would immediately throw the player out of the game with a flagrant technical.  In Illinois, the player would also be suspended for the next game.

On 9th team foul players line up in lane and one of the officials indicated two shots (double bonus) rather than 1:1. Player missed free throw 5 of 6 players in lane stay in position, one player grabs rebound and makes the basket. Ruling?

Asked by Tom Hansen almost 12 years ago

There are five correctible errors in the NFHS rulebook: 1) failure to award a merited FT, 2) awarding an unmerited FT, 3) permitting the wrong player to shoot a FT, 4) attempting a FT at the wrong basket, & 5) Erroneously counting or cancelling a score.  Unfortunately in your scenario, the error was in announcing 2 free throws (he never progressed to awarding the erroroneous 2nd freet throw).  So, the error is not correctible, the basket counts, and now belongs to the opposing team.  Tough break because of bad officiating.

How much do you want to referee a kid game

Asked by KK almost 12 years ago

Based on your question, I want to referee a game probably more than you want to watch one.

You keep saying "it makes no difference if in bonus"...for Player Control...I only add the "in bonus" because it is the only time free throws are rewarded if not shooting..

Asked by MarkM about 12 years ago

I don't know how else to say this...in high school rules, we NEVER award free throws on a player or team control foul.  We also NEVER count the basket if a player control foul was called on the shooter.

That is why it does not matter if the team is in the bonus - in any case, free throws are not awarded on a control foul. It is by definition in the rule book -  a control foul (team or player) never earns free throws. 

Maybe you are confused by the terms - notice I did not say charging fouls instead of control fouls, because charging is just one type of foul committed by the offense.  For example, free throws are not awarded for an illegal screen by the offense (as of about five years ago).

In the Michigan v Tenessee NCAA game Nic Stauskas passed the ball to himself off the backboard. While everyone lauds it as a "heady" play I think it's illegal, yes? I'm told it's only legal in the NBA.

Asked by Bill Szcz almost 12 years ago

In high school rules, a player can retrieve the ball after a "legitimate" shot attempt without hitting anything.  For example, you could retrieve an airball shot even though the ball has not been touched by another player.  However, f the throw to the backboard is not a shot attempt and a player purposely throws it off the backboard, I would call that travelling - much like tossing the ball forward to yourself and moving down the court.