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

Hi, so nowhere in the college rule book does it mention throwing/slamming the ball down is a technical foul, yet it gets called a tech regularly. Seems it could be used very arbitrarily against a team. Why is it a tech when it's not in the rule book?

Asked by Laura over 10 years ago

The rule book does not prohibit tossing the ball to the ref, nor does it prohibit a player from talking to the ref...yet if either is done in an unsportsnanlike way it could be a technical. If you slam the ball to protest a call most refs will call a t. So it goes to the judgemeny of the ref as to whether an action is unsportsmanlike.

I have a question. Say a player jumps to attempt a 3 pointer. He is fouled and then decided to dribble or pass after the foul instead of finish the shot attempt. Are 3 free throws awarded? Or is it side out of bounds?

Asked by Travis over 10 years ago

If, in the opinion of the referee the player started the "habitual movement to shoot at the basket" and is fouled it is a shooting foul even if the player cannot complete the shot or dumps the ball off.

can i box out an opponent before their offensive player takes a shot ?

Asked by Kobe54 over 10 years ago

Boxing out is the process of legally getting to a spot on the floor before an opponent gets to the same spot. Most people think of this when you achieve inside rebounding position, and you are able to anticipate your opponent's movement in such a way that you prevent him from moving around you by "blocking" his way. Note this definition is without specification regarding a shot or no shot.

In my experience, the player blocking out is tagged with a foul when he blatantly backs up and dislodges his opponent when making contact, but not usually when both players move laterally.

If a game start at 9:45AM. Team B do not have 5 players show up at 9:45AM. At what point you will consider team B lose?

Asked by Lawrence about 12 years ago

I never had to call a game a forfeit.  If a team was late, I tried to work with the athletic director to understand why the visitors are late, and what a reasonable start time might be.  The rule book calls for a technical foul toul to be called if the coach has not submitted the roster and designated the starters no later than 10 minutes before start time. Again, I recommend that no official invokes this rule.  Once a team was stuck in Chicago traffic and my partner told the coach when they arrived 45 minutes late that the game would start with a T.  Horrible mistake.

Team A shoots their second of 2 free throws. Makes it but ref calls lane violation on team b. Does team A get another free throw or is it team B's ball and play on. I had a ref give us another free throw and I'm pretty sure he's wrong.

Asked by Riley over 10 years ago

The ref should extend his arm sraight from the shoulder indicating a delayed call. If the free throw goes in, ignore the violation. If the free throw does not go in , then reshoot the free throw.

So my son is in little league.. Ref came up to him and told him he need toto learn the game and quit whining... Hes 11. He wad asking me a question before the ref came up to him. Is the ref allowed to do taunt a child like that and what can i do?

Asked by April over 10 years ago

When I umped little league baseball, there were times when I admonished a player directly - most often a pitcher for disrespectful body language in protest (slamming his mitt after a call four call, shaking his head purposefully when not getting a strike called, etc). Depending on how grievous the infraction determined my intensity.  

One time while umping a 14 year old tournament game a pitcher was trying to get strike calls for balls 2 inches off the plate. After watching his demonstrations a few times, I stopped the game and took three paces toward the mound. I said loud enough for all to hear, "pitcher, you are not as good as Greg Maddox and I will not give in to your pitches off the plate. I suggest you challenge the hitters with strikes, or at least stop your sophomoric demonstrations. Or I can solve this for you and throw you out of the game". The coach came out to talk to me and instead of protesting he thanked me for humbling this young man.

In general, in basketball no good comes from arguing or negatively interacting with the crowd or the players. Mature refs avoid this.

High school rules
While an offensive player is scoring a two point shot a defensive player fouls going for rebound position. The offense is in the bonus. Is the fouled player awarded one and one on top of the made goal or only one shot?

Asked by Pete over 10 years ago

OK. So let's say the shooter comes down from his jump shot and touches the floor and the shot is in the air. This offensive player is no longer an "airborne shooter". If the defense then fouls this ex-airborne shooter, or any other offensive player while the ball is in the air here is how you administer it:

Count the basket if it goes in. Then administer the foul (one and one, or two if in bonus situations.NOTE: If the shooter is still an airborne shooter and is fouled, he is awarded one free throw if the ball goes in, two or three if the shot is no good.