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

IS Allen Iverson's Crossover a travel? I mean he does a crossover before his body and take three steps for a lay up without any dribble. See this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkkNcIDZquc

Asked by JYAO over 10 years ago

One principle is that you cannot travel between dribbles. Iverson probably travels (high school rules) when he jumps forward BEFORE he dribbles, a move Michael Jordan used as well. Iverson also, like Jordan, carries the ball (a NFHS violation) in the video several times but this seems to be allowed by the NBA.

What are the rules and restrictions for a player in-bounding the ball NOT after a made basket? Is there a 3-foot radius that allows them to move backwards? Do they have to establish a pivot or can they move both feet?
Thanks

Asked by Confused Player about 11 years ago

A player must have at least one foot ON or Above a 3 foot wide (parallel to the out of bounds line) during the throw in. He/she may move forward or back all the way to the wall or bleachers perpendicular to the out of bounds line. There is no requirement to maintain a pivot foot on a throw in, nor can you travel. The violation occurs when the throw in player exits a 3 foot wide area along the boundary line before the throw in.

The player catches the ball under the basket with both feet planted. He then hops backwards landing on both feet and shoots the layup. is this a travel?

Asked by Coach Joe over 10 years ago

As you describe it, it is traveling. If you catch the ball with both feet on the ground, when you lift one of the feet the other becomes the pivot. But if a player hops, neither foot is a pivot and it is traveling.

Player gets called for a foul which results in a spot throw in. Two technical fouls are then called when the ball is dead one on each team. Would the ball be then put in play at POI or do you go to the possession arrow?

Asked by DW24 about 10 years ago

The technical fouls offset and we go to the possession arrow for a throw in at half court.

Have you ever had to call a game winning shot not good because time expired?

Asked by Andrew over 10 years ago

Yes, in a tie game I called travelling on a last second shot which went in. I sent the game into overtime and the team that travelled lost the game.

If a player stops his or her dribble and is off balance and ready to fall on the floor which would traveling and puts his or hers hand on the floor to prevent from flooring on the floor is that traveling

Asked by ernie liggett, sr over 10 years ago

It is not traveling if a hand touches the floor as long as your feet have not violated the traveling rules. Any other part of your body (beside hands and feet) touching the floor while in control of the ball constitutes traveling.

When does an assist begin & end. ex. If a player inbounds the ball to another player & the second player dribbles down court & scores does the first player still get an assist?

Asked by Jim almost 11 years ago

This is a tough question. There was a Wall Street Journal article which addressed the grey areas of what an assist is. Here is a quote from that article:

"The NBA statistician's manual says an assist should be "credited to a player tossing the last pass leading directly to a field goal, only if the player scoring the goal responds by demonstrating immediate reaction to the basket." It sounds simple enough. As assist is a pass made to a shooter who scores. But when you try to apply this definition during a game, it gets murky. There are no details about how many steps shooters can take after receiving a pass; nothing about shot-fakes, head-fakes or pivot moves and no hard guidelines on how much time can elapse between the pass and the shot.