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

Hello, while on the offensive, is it legal to block/make contact with the defender's hand with your other hand when you dribble past him to stop him from gaining distance/protecting the ball?

Asked by Marv almost 11 years ago

No this move is not legal because even though the offensive player has the right to the vertical space once he has attained a legal position on the floor, he cannot initiate contact by slapping the opponents arm.  

The defensive player can penetrate that vertical space but cannot make contact in that space.  So, a defender can reach into the vertical space of the offensive player to try to steal the ball as long as there is no contact.  But if the defender reaches into the vertical space and initiates contact it is a defensive foul.  

But what if the offensive player initiates contact inside his legally obtained space?  If for example, the offensive player jumps vertically and crashes into the defender - foul on the defender.  

But what if the offensive player slaps the defender's hand? The offensive player caused the contact, and most likely it occurred outside the offensiive player's vertical space, so  it is a foul on the offensive player for initiating contact.

I know that many coaches teach the dribbler to put up a bent arm as a barrier to the defender but when the dribbler initiates contact by pushing or slapping the defender it is a player control foul on the dribbler.  Most often, the dribbler is NOT entitled to the space where the defender is reaching in. In my opinion, this is not called enough.

By the way, there is no defintion in the rule book of "reaching in".  If reaching in was illegal, you could never steal the ball from a dribbler.

with 9 seconds remaining. while in bounding the ball on a set play the scorekeeper sounds the buzzer and the basket is taken away. with no time outs they run the same play this time defender just holds onto the player and tackles him to the ground

Asked by bob over 11 years ago

Time stops when an offical: signals a foul, held ball or violation, stops play for an injury or score inquiry, grants a time out, or responds to the scorer signal.  SO, unless the referees stopped play with their whistle PLAY ON and the basket should count.  That is why players are coached to stop on the whistle, not the buzzer.

If the officials did stop play when they heard the buzzer, it sounds like a foul should have been called.  Either way, as you desribe it officiating mistakes were made.

If a shot is taken at the end of a quarter and ends up lodged between the rim and backboard AFTER the buzzer sounds, which team gets the ball to begin the next quarter? Is the jump ball still awarded or ignored because the quarter is over?

Asked by Don over 10 years ago

When a shot is in the air and time runs out the quarter ends when the try ends. So the instant the ball becomes lodged, the try is over and so is the quarter. The team with the possession arrow gets the ball to start the next quarter.

If a player is injured and can't complete free throw does opposing coach choose the sub

Asked by ah almost 11 years ago

No.  The coach of the injured player decides who to put in.

how many day will a high school player get suspended for if he got 2 technical fouls ?

Asked by john over 11 years ago

NFHS does not specify any post game punishments as these are left to the state organizations.  In Illinois, if a coach or player is disqualified because of 2 technical fouls or 1 flagarant technical foul, he is suspended from participating in the next scheduled contest.

Betond these, the state reserves the right to impose stiffer sanctions if necessary.

DIAGONAL DIVE DROP STEP... how is this move NOT a travel? both feet move before the shot is taken

2:35 of the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef2sY59Ko8k

Asked by mike w almost 10 years ago

OK, here is what I saw. He gets the ball while both feet are planted. So either foot can be the pivot foot. He lifts up his left foot which makes his right foot his pivot foot. he then steps onto his left foot and lifts his right foot. At this point he cannot move or slide his left foot nor can he touch the right foot on the floor. From here he must shoot or pass. Looks to me like a legitimate basketball move and no violation.

It is hard to understand this fact about traveling: it is not illegal to lift your pivot foot per se. If you could not lift your pivot foot how could you ever shoot a traditional layup?

Can coaches sub players in during a refs timeout? Our coach called a timeout to sub in our star at the end of a game, but the ref said he was calling an on court time out and the player could not enter the game.

Asked by john rhodes over 10 years ago

Yes. A sub can be brought in on any dead ball when the clock is stopped. The only exception is if there is to be another free throw after this one subs are to wait until the next to last free throw before being waved in.