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

Opening tip. Our center tipped the ball along the midcourt line but no one touched it before it went out of bounds. Sure, ball to the other team now, but what about arrow? The ruling was the arrow for other side b/c our center "possessed" ball. Thx.

Asked by RodK about 11 years ago

Sounds like a bad call.  The center for Team A does not establish team possession by tipping the ball, but by knocking the ball out Team B gets the ball.  Because neither team had possession and B got the first ball the arrow is set for Team A's possession on the next one.

if a player dribbles the basketball, while dribbling gets it knocked out of their hands, picks up the ball with both hands, than dribbles again, is that a double dribble?

Asked by djvyce almost 11 years ago

The dribble ends when the ball is knocked away, and so does player possession. So, if you pick up the ball and dribble it is not double dribble.  You can pick up a ball with two hands as long as you are lifting up.  If you push down with two hands it is double dribble.

How do referees decide which side of the court to take the ball out on after a timeout called when the ball is in the front court?

Asked by George about 11 years ago

The placement of a throw in after a time out is the same as the placement after a violation or a non-shooting foul.  The spot should be perpendiclar to nearest sideline oe endline.  So imagine a diagonal line from the elbow of the free throw line to the corner of the sideline/endline. If the ball was on the sideline area of that line then find a perpendicular line to the sideline. If it is on the other side of the diagonal then the ball goes to the endline.  If the ball was in the paint, then it is taken out on the endline at the closest line of the paint - never on the endline directly under the basket.

when a player dribbles behind another player (much like when a running back follows a blocker) as when coming up the court (or anytime) and the non-dribbling player obstructs the would be defender - is this a moving (illegal) screen?

Asked by Ralph Sita about 11 years ago

yes.

If a player is inbounds with the ball, and that player's body is contacted by a player on the same team, that is out of bounds, is the ball considered out of bounds with a change of possession

Asked by Colby over 10 years ago

The ball is still inbounds, unless the player who is out of bounds touches the ball.   So, in your question, assuming the out of bounds player is not touching the ball ...  PLAY ON!

If yo shoot from behind the board but yet inside the court, ball bounces on the top of the board and goes into the court / is that out of bounds or not?

Asked by a.stjepanovic@gmail.com about 10 years ago

If the ball goes over the top of a rectangular backboard in either direction it is out of bounds.

If the ball goes over the top of a fan backboard it stays in play.

If the opponent of the free thrower commits a lane violation and the free throw is an air ball, would the free thrower get a substitute throw or is this considered a simultaneous violation?

Asked by L. Rouse about 10 years ago

I would consider it a simultaneous violation. If there was to be a second free throw, then shoot it. If not, go to the alternating possession arrow.

However, if the opponent committed the violation BEFORE the free throw shooter released the ball then the first is penalized and the second is ignored.