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 "carrying the ball" not in the rule book anymore, because most all dribbles are such?

Asked by daveb over 11 years ago

Carrying the ball is one of ways the rule book states that a dribble comes to an end.  So the very next dribble should be called as a double dribble if the player carried the ball prior to the subsequent dribble.  My opinion is that refs have allowed too much carrying to go on - the dribbler gains too much control of the basketball if you let a player cup or turn over the ball.

When in the post, can the defender use his foreram as a barricade on your back to stop u from moving ?

Asked by Omar over 11 years ago

No, by rule they cannot, but it depends (and the following discussion assumes the offensive player does NOT have the ball):

Coaches teach the armbar technique but if the arm in the back prevents an offensive player from moving to another legal spot, it is holding.  

If the armbar is set within the verticality the defender is entitled to, and the defender's forearm is used to keep from being pushed backward by the offensive player then there is no foul, or an offensive foul.

I always looked to see if the armbar moved foreward to push the offensive player off his spot, then it is a foul.  If the armbar did not push the opponent, I would not call it

Ball in the air at half court and I get fouled attemptimg to tip it toward my basket is it then a three-shot foul? It would have to be under your definition because if it goes in and we're in the bonus, awarding one and one is too crazy and severe.

Asked by dhatch over 11 years ago

Read my answer to the above question, and add this.  If I was observing an official who called a foul on a half court tip a shooting foul, I would do all I could to keep him from working a varsity (also a sophomore) game.  I will grant you that a player can go through the habitual shooting motion of a shot anywhere on the court and if fouled it could be a shooting foul, even from the back court (as in the end of the quarter), but a tip from half court is unskilled and undeserving of a shooting foul - I would always call a halfcourt tip foul a common foul.

Say someone fouled me, and i receive 2 free throw shots. If I jump over the free throw line and make my shot before landing does it count? Also, is it legal to dunk a free throw shot if physically able?

Asked by Shane over 11 years ago

In the violations section of the rule book regarding free throws, it states that the free throw shooter shall have neither foot beyond the vertical plane of the edge of the free throw line which is further from the basket.

This restriction ends when the ball hits the ring, backboard or until the free throw ends.

So no, a player cannot soar through the air leaping from the semi-circle to dunk a ball - he would have to cross the vertical plane of the free throw line.

can Substitute A6 enter the court wearing a leg compression sleeve for medical reasons

Asked by candyman007 almost 11 years ago

The answer is yes.  A rule change for this coming season (2014-15)  in NFHS rules states: Arm sleeves, knee sleeves, lower leg sleeves and tights are permissable as long as they meet the color and logo restrictions.

Can a coach throw a student out of a game?

Asked by Ellis over 11 years ago

see the answer below.  In summary, Home Management can eject anybody.  Usually the AD works closely with the coach so in practical terms, the answer is yes.

Well my daughter had a sectional game and the refs allowed the other team to guard our girls with hands and forearm across our girls legs and mid-section while they were driving and never called a foul.

Asked by Ronald Poke over 10 years ago

ok.