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
Great question. In my career I have called very few T's on coaches. My approach is two-fold. 1) if the coach is working me up and down the court, I will talk calmly on a dead ball (never stop officiating on a live ball - ignore the coach). I will say, "coach, your constant rants are unwarranted, and may prevent me from doing my job. If it persists without specifics, I will be forced to call a "T" and have you seatbelted to the bench". 2) if the coach wants/needs to discuss a particular play on a dead ball, always in front of the bench, don't let the coach come on the court - walk him back to the bench, he will follow: a) I ask the coach what he saw on the play. If I saw something different, I tell him and explain that if I saw it his way, I would have called it his way, but I didn't.. b) If I saw the same thing, but believe he is misinterpeting a rule or a mechanic, I explain why I am calling it the way I did. For example, if a coach tells me that a player is camped out in 3 seconds and I have ignored it, I explain that I am applying advantage/disadvantage and will only call 3 seconds if it is material to the play - so he may be technically right, but that is my call. c) If I have booted the call, I admit it to the coach and tell him that since calling (or ignoring) a play, I have replayed it in my mind, and think I made an error. They always stop the harrassment when you admit an error. It is tough when you are young - they treated me differently as my hair grew gray than when I first started out - sure, my judgement improved, but also coaches usually try to push around young officials. In summary, ref the best you can. Be honest with yourself about blown calls, and have the strength to explain your calls - if you can't explain your calls, you should not be wearing the stripes.
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If team A loses possession because B tips the ball, but A does not reclaim possession (going thru fingertips does not establish possession) there would be no backcourt violation.
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In NFHS rules you NEVER award free throws for a player control foul UNLESS the foul is also flagrant (which I have never seen). It doesn't matter if the team is in the bonus.
As far as over the back, you should know that there is no foul defined in the rule book for over the back. Illegal contact (pushing someone from behind, for example) is either a common foul, a team or player control foul, foul in the act of shooting, technical, intentional or flagrant. If the ball is loose (also not defined in the NFHS rule book) - I think you mean no team control - then illegal contact is a common foul and free throws will be shot if in the bonus.
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No, by rule a coach has only 2 places he/she can be: 1) standing (or squating) in a 14 foot area out of bounds, in front of his/her bench known as the "coach's box" in states that have adopted this optional provision, or 2) sitting on his/her bench.
In practice, unless a coach is over-bearing to the officials or is gaining advantage (for example standing near the endline and directing players) most referees are not going to focus on a coach outside the box. The penalty is a direct technical foul and most refs do well to ask or warn the coach before calling a T.
If a coach is called for any direct technical foul, he/she is "seatbelted" to the bench and loses the ability to stand in the coach's box for the remainder of the game.
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What's the rudest thing a driver ever said to you?
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How often would you date customers?
Navy Officer (Former)
Why do so many people miss the military after they get out?
In practice, an official can eject a fan anytime. Here is how it should work, At every game there is a home management function. That may be athletic director, coach or administration. If an official needs to eject someone, he/she should ask home management to eject the fan. If the official requests an ejection, home management should comply. If the official is out of control or unreasonable the home management should take that up after the game.
In my experiences, home management never refused to comply with an official's request to eject someone. If they did, I would have refused to continue to work the game.
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It is not a rule, but rather it is a mechanic perscribed in the NFHS Handbook. It used to be that the trailing referee would hand the ball to the free throw shooter for the first attempt and the lead (on the endline) would administer the rest of the free throws. Maybe ten years ago, it was changed so that the proper mechanic is for the lead official administer all free throws from the baseline. Most referees cannot advance if they do not follow the perscribed mechanics. Most importantly, mechanics set a consistent way of working a game, so that you can easily work with people you have never been assigned with, and secondly, following perscribed mechanics sets a professional expectation for coaches and assignment chairpersons to evaluate (in addition to judgement, hustle, and rules knowledge).
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Yes, it is a direct technical foul. It is dangerous and unsportsman-like.
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