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

You are dribbling and then grab the ball with two hands and then drop it and then pick it up. Is that legal?

Asked by action jackson over 9 years ago

Yes. If it is a legit fumble.

a player tried to block my shot, too far away so he lowered into my face. I told him it was cheap and a tech foul. He said not if I was shooting and he "tried" to block my shot. I said didnt matter, face guarding is face guarding shooting or not.

Asked by Darcy almost 10 years ago

Rule 10, section 3, which delineates player technical fouls, Article 6d, "A player shall not commit an unsporting foul. This includes, but is not limited to purposely obstructing an opponent's vision by waiving or placing hands near his/her eyes."

Toward the end of the basketball game there was a foul called. The ref came over and said it was either on #20 or #21, he asked who had the most fouls. #21 did so he called the foul on #21 and it fouled him out. Was this the right procedure?

Asked by Heidi almost 10 years ago

As of about 10 years ago, NFHS refs are allowed to consult with the scorer's table if they are unsure of who the foul is on, or who the shooter should be. However, it is sloppy officiating in a 3 man crew when none of the officials know who was involved in a foul. In my opinion, it is inappropriate to levy a foul based on personal foul counts. If the table knows with confidence who committed a foul then they can help. Otherwise, the official must determine who fouled, or else don't blow your whistle.

Sorry Mr. Referee not being clear enough, I meant the action starting from 0:11 in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=21&v=YHOGaXtjxZs

May I ask your expert opinion on this too? :)

Asked by isogulaleb almost 10 years ago

Definitely body contact, In high school ball that would be called a foul.

What's the rules for a coach to talk to a ref in the middle of the game and the ref is talking back

Asked by Sheryll Woolsey almost 10 years ago

A ref cannot listen to a coach and do his job while a game is being played. So a ref should not respond during live balls. On the first dead ball i would approach the coach, listen to what the issue is, resolve it if legitimate, and explain that I will not listen or be interupted during live balls. If he insists on communicating while i have in game responsibilities i will consider it unsportsmanlike.

Where does it say that a referee can through someone out of an high school basketball game? I need it in black and white.

Asked by Dana almost 10 years ago

Your question makes me think you have been tossed out of a gym and you object. Here it is in black and white.

In the NFHS rulebook, Rule 2 Officials and Their Duties, Section 8 Officials Additional Duties, Article 1, "The officials shall penalize unsporting conduct by any player, coach, substitute, team attendant or follower.In the same section under Article 1, "NOTE: The home management or game committee is responsible for spectator behavior, insofar as it can be reasonably be expected to control the spectators.The officials may rule fouls on either team if its spectators act in such a way as to interfere with the proper conduct of the game … When team supporters become unruly or interfere with the orderly progress of the game, the officials shall stop the game until the home management resolves the situation and the game can proceed in in an orderly manner."

In practice the way this works is an official notifies home management that a fan's behavior is unacceptable and the officials ask that home management eject the fan. Home management always complies because to refuse would force the official to penalize the home team starting with technical fouls potentially leading to a forfeited game. I only asked home management to throw out a handful of people in 20 years of officiating and they never refused my requests.

if the buzzer sounds at the end of the game and the ref blows her whistle at the same time, can she extend the time on the clock to give a team two foul shots?

Asked by Antonietta almost 10 years ago

Even though the buzzer sounds if the shot left the shooters hand before time expired, the ball is live and the shot counts. If the shooter was fouled in the act of shooting at the end of the game, if making any of the free throws could matter to the outcome of the game the lane is cleared and the free throws are attempted.