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

SubscribeGet emails when new questions are answered. Ask Me Anything!Show Bio +

Share:

Ask me anything!

Submit Your Question

651 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on September 20, 2019

Best Rated

do direct techs to a coach count toward team fouls

Asked by RefDre over 10 years ago

yes, but not indirect technicals.

A player commits 5th foul. Ref confirms with official. Replacement player enters game. 4 mins. later, the player who fouled out re-enters the game. The official scorer now says he only has 4 fouls. Wasn't the player ineligible to return?

Asked by Brooks over 10 years ago

The table official's book is the final word unless the referee has certain, personal knowledge. So assuming the official has not kept track of how many fouls a player has, if the scorer discovers a counting error of a player;s foul, he should conference with the referee (head of the game officials), explain what happened, and if a player really had 4 fouls it should be explained to both coaches and the player should be allowed to reenter the game.

you call a foul and the table does not tell you it should be a bonus situation. B1 inbounds the ball and scores. then the table informs you the previous call should be a bonus. is it correctable.

Asked by tony over 10 years ago

This error is correctable, as long as it is discovered during the first dead ball after the clock has been started. When B1 scores, the ball is dead and the free throw should be awarded. The points scored by B1 shall remain counted.

For NFHS, the new rule for the end of a free throw includes the ball striking the backboard. Can free throw shooters now bank the ball directly back to themselves?

Asked by Dunkster over 10 years ago

I believe that although the free throw ends when the ball hits the backboard, it is still a violation if the free thrower fails to hit the ring.

Further to the backcourt question, once team A (offense) achieves front court status, and then team A dribbler attempts a pass to his team mate, if it hits his team mate's hand (but not in control of teammate) and goes backcourt, is this a violation?

Asked by MJ about 12 years ago

Yes, it is a backcourt violation because team A never lost team control.

On a designated spot throw in. Can a player take one step forward to adminster a throw in

Asked by Rox over 11 years ago

On a spot throw-in, a player must stay within a 3 foot area along the out of bounds boundary. That three foot area extends from the out of bounds line all the way back to the wall, or the first obstruction (bleachers, table, etc.).  

So to answer your question, as long as the player does not step in bounds before releasing the ball, he can take as many steps forward short of breaching the out bounds line.

Does the head coach have to come to the pre game meeting of players / Coaches / officials ? If he does not attend and an Asst. Coach does he the Asst. deemed head coach for that game ?

Asked by Robby over 10 years ago

I think the pre-game conference rules are dictated by each state.