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

B-1 commits fifth foul and is disqualifies. after the warning horn, B-6 replaces. B-1. as B-6 is beckoned into the game A-6 reports to ener the game. the timer sounds the horn. official denies A-6 from enering the game since the warning horn had soun

Asked by Mbehart@aol.com over 12 years ago

OK, we need some common sense here.  Normally after a time out and the warning horn sounds, a player would be denied entering the game.  This is to eliminate delays due to substitution gamesmanship (in pro hockey for example the home team has "last substitute").  But in the case where a coach has 30 seconds to replace a fouled out player this rule should not, and does not apply to either team.  If common sense prevails, the officials should let  A-6 in the game. 

What is the call if a team starts a play after a time out with 4 players?

Asked by ed over 11 years ago

I call it bad preventative officiating. One of the officials should count the players after each time out, and prevent the play from starting until you have ten players on the floor. However, once the play starts the fifth player cannot come back in until there is a dead ball whistle.

Is a referee considered to be apart of the court

Asked by Zach riordan almost 12 years ago

Well, the referee is considered to be part of the floor where he is standing.  If he is out of bounds and the ball touches him, it is out of bounds.  If he is in bounds and the ball touches him, play on.

When in the post, can the defender use his foreram as a barricade on your back to stop u from moving ?

Asked by Omar about 12 years ago

No, by rule they cannot, but it depends (and the following discussion assumes the offensive player does NOT have the ball):

Coaches teach the armbar technique but if the arm in the back prevents an offensive player from moving to another legal spot, it is holding.  

If the armbar is set within the verticality the defender is entitled to, and the defender's forearm is used to keep from being pushed backward by the offensive player then there is no foul, or an offensive foul.

I always looked to see if the armbar moved foreward to push the offensive player off his spot, then it is a foul.  If the armbar did not push the opponent, I would not call it

8th grade AAU basketball tournament. at buzzer score was 59-56. we were winning. the opposing team scored 2. he shot it in near foul line. score is 59-58 on the board. coaches come on court arguing it was 3. senior ref changes it to 3. why?? it was2

Asked by Amy almost 13 years ago

There is no provision for a referee to overrule another official in the Federation rules book, however in practice one official is designated as the referee in a crew with a responsibility to resolve simultaneous calls.  My experience is that before the game this situation is discussed between officials.  I think it is important to get the call correct, but each referee has his own area to watch.  So if I make a call that one of my partners sees a different way I want that official to approach me, tell me what they saw, I give my perspective and then I decided if I will overrule my own decision.  That way I can defend the final outcome.  So, a few principles: 1) a ref should be watching their own area - that is why you have 2 or 3 of them, 2) there is some overlap and sometimes a second look sees something you can miss, and 3) officials should decide how they will consider overruling each other before the game.  Based on your description (that the shot was clearly made from inside the 3 point line), regardless of how the ref's changed the call they apparently got it wrong. 

Saw this at Wis State Tourney..after basket guy takes ball out throws to teammate near halfcourt who takes off from frontcourt, catches ball, lands both feet in backcourt..no O&B was called which I thought was correct.

Asked by imaxfli about 12 years ago

When you catch a ball in the air you are considered to be in the court where you jumped from.  So you might think that this play is a violation, but there are two exceptions ... 1) by a defensive player intercepting the ball, and 2) by either team on a throw in.

Say someone fouled me, and i receive 2 free throw shots. If I jump over the free throw line and make my shot before landing does it count? Also, is it legal to dunk a free throw shot if physically able?

Asked by Shane about 12 years ago

In the violations section of the rule book regarding free throws, it states that the free throw shooter shall have neither foot beyond the vertical plane of the edge of the free throw line which is further from the basket.

This restriction ends when the ball hits the ring, backboard or until the free throw ends.

So no, a player cannot soar through the air leaping from the semi-circle to dunk a ball - he would have to cross the vertical plane of the free throw line.