Refereeing at the US Airways Center

Yep, That's where the Phoenix Suns played.

Nope, 'tweren't a Suns or NBA game.

I'm just an average High School Referee, ain't no one at the NBA Commissioner of Officials looking up my phone number to call me to work their league! They told me a long time ago, "Don't call us, we'll call you."

Greenway High School does an annual High School Boys & Girls Tournament during the Christmas Break at the US Airways Arena. It is a Multi School event! David Dixson & I were just fortunate to have gotten an assignment to work one of the games today.

But WHAT A PLACE to Referee!!

You get to walk the walkways where the NBA players walk & dress in the locker rooms the NBA Referees use. Even got Granola Bars & Beverages on a table in the Dressing room. No, no alcohol, tho some fans sometimes think I Ref like I'm inebriated!

My Referee Partner Dave & I. 

We worked this Tournament a couple years ago when Alvin Gentry was the Suns Coach. They had a game later that nite & Coach Gentry was relaxing by the tunnel that leads off the court during the high school games. As we left the court after the game he nodded at us & David quipped, "Hey Coach, we're available to work your game later tonite if you need us!"

The Suns Coach chuckled and shot back, "That's be OK with me. You boys called a better game than some of the Refs we get!"

It was a nice compliment but, NO, the NBA did not ask us to work the game. We would not even have been allowed in the building unless we bought our own tickets!

Dec 20, 2014

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Rec League Players! Listen Up!

It seems to me that many Rec League players seem to forget a few minor details when they step out onto the court. So here are some tips and some rule clarification for all you "Wreck" League guys and gals to help you from getting in trouble with the Refs.

Photo by Christopher Sessums via Flickr

First and foremost. You are NOT in the NBA. This is NOT the NBA. We ARE playing National Federation High School Rules. Please remember that!

Dribbling- It would be appreciated if more players would dribble before they start running on their drive to the basket. I know Lebron & Kobe aren't expected to dribble until they've taken two steps but ain't none of you making them big bucks to entertain the fans......and you know no one calls traveling violations in the NBA!! Oh, yeah, that's true!! We have a retired NBA Ref from Phoenix, Tommy Nunes Sr. When Tommy was first hired by the NBA he went straight from Refereeing Arizona High School Basketball. After one of his first games he got a call from the NBA Commissioner of Referees, "Tommy, The NBA is ENTERTAINMENT. No one is paying to see you call Traveling Violation, so lay off the Traveling Calls if you want to stay in the league." CLICK! Went the phone. And they STILL don't call Traveling in the NBA…

And THAT reminds me. I know you see the boys in the NBA "Flop" all the time in an attempt to "Draw the Foul." Most referees can see when you flopped. When you're lying down on the floor it's making you AND the referee look bad, It can get worse, too......I had a fellow in a Mesa Parks & Rec League "flopping" all nite, I warned him to stop but he couldn't resist and flopped one more time, so I called a Foul on him for Blocking. He jumped off the floor, raced to me and yelled, "How can that be blocking when I never touched him!!" I asked, "If you never touched him, why did you grunt so loud and how did you end up on your backside on the floor? Did you deliberately fall back trying to draw the foul?" The fool said, "YES I DID. You can't call Blocking on that!!" "You're right," I said, “That information changes everything. Intentionally Flopping is a Technical Foul, so your opponent gets to shoot Free Throws AND get the Ball at Mid Court AND you're gonna have to sit the bench for 2 minutes!" He did not like that at all. So Brethren, please don't flop in our league......

Creating Space- "What do you mean I can't create space!!??" I was cautioning a player about pushing off. Did you know you can't "Create Space" while playing? What is that, you ask? It's when an Offensive Player with the ball used his shoulder, ample gluteus maximus or forearm to try & push the defender away so the Offensive Player has "space" to maneuver free of the Defender. ''Creating Space" is basically a Player Control Foul, so don't try to "create space"!!

The Ball IS Deaf- The ball ain't listening......so when you miss a shot, and yell, "Oh come on!" at the ball, it won't help.

Screens- I hollered "Watch that Blind Screen" to a Player the other nite to which he yelled back at me, "This is basketball. Screens are allowed!!" He didn't say "idiot" but the tone of voice did......Hmmmmm. How does a fellow handle insolent conduct from an apparent "Know it all" that don't know what he's talking about? I was just trying to help him out and did not call what could have been a Blind Screen Foul. Something which, despite his vast rules knowledge & extensive experience at the highest levels of B-Ball competition, he apparently does not comprehend......

Here's the Screening Principle-  A Player can set a screen as close to a STATIONARY opponent player as possible-just so long as the screener does not contact the person being screened, does not infringe on the other players "Verticiality" AND the person being screen can readily see the screener. When you set a "Blind Screen," meaning the player being screened can NOT see the screener, the screener needs to allow the person being screened enough time to see the screen and react to go around the screen. UP TO 2 STRIDES if the player being screened is moving!! So if you set a screen on a player who is on the run and not looking at you, make sure you are allowing that player time to see & react to your screen.

The screener also can NOT stick his knee, hip, backside, elbow, or shoulder out to restrict the movement of the person being screened.

3 Seconds Violation- This is perhaps the complaint most commonly yelled at Referees from Players & fans. All the yelling show is that person can at least count to 3, which may surprise some of the their former math teachers......

First point- 3 Seconds ONLY applies to an Offensive Player. A Defensive Player can stand in the key as long as he wants, so please don't yell, "3 Seconds!” when the Defense is standing in the Key!

3 Seconds only applies when the Offensive Team has possession of the ball, called Player Control or Team Control. When a shot goes up and the scrum forms under the basket and the ball is being slapped around there is NO team Control and the Offense can be in the key more than 3 Seconds.

There is NO Team Control when a Team is in-bounding the ball, so an Offensive Player CAN stand in the lane for more than 3 seconds during an inbound play. (Yes, I know the Offensive Team Player is holding on to the ball as he stands out of bounds to throw it in and you could say he has "control" of the ball. But by Rule, THAT is not considered Team or Player Control for a 3 Seconds Violation.)

If an Offensive Player is in the Key, the Ref is silently  & Patiently counting, "One Thousand One, One Thousand Two, One Thousand Three," NOT speed counting, to himself / herself, like the fans do. When the Ref sees a player lingering too long he'll holler "Clear the Key, White!" (Or whatever is the team color). Then if the player beings to move out of the key (away from the basket) OR if a shot is attempted while the player is moving out of the key there is no 3 Seconds Violation.

When the Referee Whistle Blows- STOP!!! If you are grasping the ball with an opponent, and the Referee blows his whistle- STOP STOP, STOP, DANG IT, STOP wrestling for the ball. You're not a bunch of Cub Scouts wrestling over the last cookie!! It's a jump ball and the last person holding the ball is NOT the winner!

Referee Calls- While in-bounding a ball I asked some folks sitting there if they'd "come to see some good basketball?" When they enthusiastically said, "YES!!" I quipped, "Then you've come to the wrong place! Won't see much good basketball here!" A player, over hearing my comment, muttered, "You can say the same thing about the refereeing!."

When NOT to complain about a foul not being called- If you are chasing a loose ball, perhaps even knocked the ball out of the dribbler's hand, and while chasing down the ball the other player dives for it, sliding along the floor and then YOU dive on top of the other player......don't give that "I'm shocked" look and ask the Ref why he did not call a foul on the guy on the bottom of the pile. Just be glad he did not call the foul on you!!

Over the Back- It is NOT a foul for the fellow in back to be taller or jump higher then the guy in front. If the guy in back jumps higher and gets the rebound without pushing the player in front, that's OK.

Kicking the Ball- Must be INTENTIONAL with contact occurring on ANY part of the leg. If a pass accidentally hits another player's foot it is not a violation. Keep playing.

Drive to the Basket- Many Offensive players like to jump into the Defender or twist their hips into the defender to push them away OR try to draw an undeserved foul from a Referee that's not paying proper attention when they drive to the basket.  You are not allowed to do that.  I don't care if Kobe does get that call every nite. No one is paying a gazillion dollars to watch you play!! YOU can be called for a Player Control Foul if the Referee thinks your action created a disadvantage for the Defense. If, after you initiate the contact, the Defender bumps you- there's a good chance his "bump" is a natural physical reaction to your bumping him first. Unless the return bump is rather hard, I'm gonna ignore it. I figure if you pick the fight in the first place don't expect me to bail you out if you get stuck & miss the shot. Spend some more time practicing your fade away shot! And if you decide to ram a guy a lot bigger then you and you end up on the floor, get up real quick 'cause the Fast Break is going the other way and the guy you're suppose to be guarding is probably gonna make his layup at the other end of the court and I'm not waiting around to hear you complain.

Driving BETWEEN Player, End & Sidelines- I know no one is gonna believe this, so I may as well try to remember to bring my rule book so you can read it for your own selves......

You see a lot of fellows try to drive the middle of the lane BETWEEN Defensive Players. They'll bounce off a couple Defenders like a pinball between flappers before heaving some half-baked shot off at the basket, falling down and crying, "Where's the Foul!?!?" The only thing "foul" was your shot attempt!!

If there is 3' or less between 2 Defenders or a Defender and an End or Sideline AND a Offensive players tries to drive between the Defenders or End / Sideline, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTACT IS ON THE OFFENSIVE PLAYER.  Now, of course that does not mean the Defenders can knock the Offender around but if you think you want to drive into that tight space and you get bumped, it's your own fault. Take the bump or go around.

 "I was pushed!!"- Yes you were. It was your own overly aggressive teammate pushing you from behind, he just won't admit it. He thought it was an Off Tackle Tailback Drive & he was just trying to push the whole pile over the goal line. He's not sorry about it either......

OR, maybe you were pushed. Ask yourself where you were AND where did the ball go? Did it rebound AWAY from you such that you did not have a likely chance of getting the rebound? Then unless the push was rather hard, or a cheap jab in the back, the Referee will ignore it. BUT he'll also be watching to see if the same player does the same push on another rebound you can get to. If you miss that rebound because of the push you'll probably get a foul call. If you get the rebound and the push did not effect the play, the push will be ignored. It's a matter of perspective, again......

What was That, Ref?- (Usually uttered after some players comes blasting thru the lane, shovels up an off balance shot & absurd shot, loses his balance & crashes to the floor). I'm not sure what that was. Clumsy, maybe? I'm just trying not to laugh......

Sneaky Stuff- Many of you have been taught some sneaky stuff by coaches along the way. Some of it you figured out on your own, had it pulled on you & decided to include it in your repertoire of "moves" or saw someone else doing it. After 20+ years refereeing high school basketball I've seen pretty much all the sneaky stuff you can do, too! And I AM SEEING it in your games. Fortunately for you, when it does not affect the play, I let it go. Unfortunately for you, when it does affect the play I will call it and especially when we get to the Tournament in 2 weeks I will be calling it. Most of the sneaky stuff does not happen to the dribbler. It usually happens away from the ball handler, or "Off Ball" as Referee's refer to it. I love to pick up & call sneak "Off Ball" stuff. So does my High School Referee partner, who I hope will help Ref some of our Tournament games. 

Blocking Out- You MAY establish a position between an opponent and the basket. You may move laterally to maintain position. You may NOT reach your hands & arms behind you to hold the person from going around you. You also may NOT use your forearm, hip, elbow or ample posterior to move the other player out of their position. When you set up your "Blocking Out" position on the left side of the key and you end up on the right side of the key and your opponent is now out of bounds from your push, that is not "Blocking Out", it IS a foul. I had one player ask, "You mean everything my high school coach taught me about "Blocking Out" is wrong? Yep, that's pretty much the story.


I know the Rules, you idiot!- My, at the time soon to be Son in Law- Jay Rosenhan, (along with my daughter, Emily & my wife, Kim) attended a High School Game that I was Refereeing. A female fan sitting near them complained rather loudly (Most complainers ARE loud......) "That Ref doesn't know the rules!!" When I called a Charging/ Player Control Foul on a player from the fan's team when the player crashed into a defender standing under the basket. Jay asked, "What do you mean?" The fan replied,"The Defensive player was standing under the basket. I watch the NBA every Sunday and I know the rules!! It's not charging when that happens!!" Jay informed the fan that the rules for High School and the NBA are different. "No they're not! You're an idiot!!" She shouted. Jay wisely decided it was not worth the aggravation of arguing with a fool. 

The rules for the NBA and High School ARE DIFFERENT. If your personal rules knowledge is based on the NBA, we are playing High School Rules, don't hesitate to ask me about it if you have a question about a rule. I'm always happy to explain.

All these tips and more entertaining stories from my years as a Church Men's Sports Director can be found at ChurchBrawl.Blogspot.com. 

Tips for this article were taken from Most Feared Match Up, It's Not the Spirit that Constrains Me, It's My Wife and Brethren, Your Out Preforming the NBA.

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Mad Dog Saloon VS Space Money Mafia - A Basketball Game

I see some interesting Team Names while refereeing Men's Rec Leagues.

"Rec" is the abbreviation of "Recreational" but sometimes it would be more appropriate to call them "Wreck" Leagues.

A match up between 2 teams named Mad Dog Saloon Vs Space Money Mafia is a train wreck in waiting......

Team Names often reflect team attitudes......

An intensely waged game was on pause with in a 1 point margin when a Time Out was called with 10 seconds left in the game.

A fan motioned to me to come over and politely informed (No, really, she WAS really polite) that the Scorekeeper had failed to award 1 point to her husband's team on the last Foul I had called. She smiles sweetly, noting her husband's team was winning by 1 point but that if they lost by 1 point it would be because that point was not awarded.

"PSUK Basketball - Bristol 2013-145" by Andrew Spillane via Flickr

Could it be the point was not recorded? Possibly, but there was a Scorekeeper AND a Clock Operator handling the Scorekeeping and the last Foul I had called was not on a Shooter nor a "One and One Situation." AND, it is customary for Referees to look at the Scoreboard to verify the awarding of points during the course of the game, just in case the Score keeper does make a mistake....

I pointed that out to her in my reply and added as clarification, "If your husbands' team loses by 1 point, it will not be because the scorekeeper missed adding a point, but because one of your players just threw the ball at an opponent and the other Ref called him for a Technical Foul which is an Automatic TWO Points Awarded to the other team."

"Oh, I guess that does make a difference," she replied.

2 Players Fouled Out, 1 Technical Foul and a final 1 point victory margin when a player for the team behind by 1 spent the entire remaining 10 seconds dribbling around looking for a game winning shot to take himself instead of passing off to another teammate.

I would not have expected less from the Mad Dog Saloon & Space Money Mafia game......

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Thanks for the Compliment

"You're a HORRIBLE Ref!"

I replied, "Thank you for the compliment!"

The Visiting Team had just lost the deciding Volleyball Match on a botched play at the net. Rather than admit he had blown the Spike attempted, a player wanted to blame me for not calling the opponent in the net.

First of all, I was the R1 (The Ref on the ladder) and the Net Fault Calls are the primary responsibility of the R2, who did not call a Net Fault.

When I said, "Thank for the compliment," the kid looked goofily at me and stammered, "Wwhhhat did you say?"

"hey ref did you see that" by Elaina Karen via Flickr

I responded, "I said 'Thanks for the compliment.' Last week I was the called 'The worst Referee ever!' If I am only a horrible Ref tonight, then that means I have improved! So thanks for the compliment!"

He was not amused......but I was!

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Seems Perfection WAS Possible After All

I was checking the Net Height prior to a Varsity Volleyball Match. That's part of the Referee's job, to make sure it is at the correct height.

It was 3" high on one end and 2" high on the other.

I asked the Athletic Director to please have the Net adjusted.

Out came the Assistant AD and says, "I had it at the right height. The floor must have shifted."

Seriously, That's what he said! For the floor to have shifted that much we would have experienced an earthquake!

I replied, "Well, I do not know if the Floor shifted or not, but we need to get that Net at the right height or someone is gonna be upset when a good Kill shot ends up in the Net. Probably you, since your daughter is the star Hitter for your team."

So he fiddles with it but could not get it right, gave me a glare & I said, "Look, I did not set up the Net, you did, so please do not complain to me. I am just trying to get it set up correctly."

"UTPA Volleyball 1 by Reynaldo Leal" by thepanamerican via Flickr

Then he decided my Net String Tape must be off and went to get his own tape measure.

Sure enough, my device was correct!

He was not too happy and fiddled some more to get it 2" high on one side and 1'' on the other.

I asked if he could at least please at least get it not more than 1" high?

He replied, "You can't expect perfection, Ref!!"

"Why not? YOU expect perfection from us Refs once the Match begins!"

He got the Net to be just under 1" off.

I was back at the same school the next week. Would you believe they had the Net at the correct height that nite!?

The real irony is his daughter was the Star "Outside Hitter" for their team and a too high Net could have caused her to hit balls into the net that could have been good "Kill" Shots!!

Seems perfection WAS possible after all.

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Referees are CORRECT 94% of the Time

I know, I know, AZ Cardinal Fans & not a few other Football Team fans are gonna disagree with this...BUT-

At last year's Arizona Interscholastic Association Basketball Referee "Tip Off" meeting the Commissioner of Officials quoted a study done by some group that evaluated Referee calls over a full season.

The conclusion was that Referees are CORRECT on 94% of their calls!!

And then he noted, "But it's those 6% of the calls we get wrong that get Refs in trouble!!"

Coaches, Fans Players & Parents can and do ALL forgive players who make mistakes, "That's OK. Shake it Off," they will holler after a botched play.

But they ALL expect the Refs to be correct, from THEIR perspective, on EVERY play.

Refs would like to be correct 100% of the time.

In almost any other situation 94% would be considered great.

But not when one of the 6% missed calls is a game decider that goes against a team....

"Shooting Two" by Phil Warren via Flickr

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The Coach Just Had to Ask

I recently worked a Pre-Season Scrimmage where the Home Team Coach questioned the very first call we made...and nearly every other call after that.

This Coach has a reputation for doing that and really annoying Referees.

When I called Traveling after his player fell down while holding the ball after getting a rebound (an automatic Traveling call!) the Coach hollered, "She tried to dribble on her way down! That's not Traveling!"

"Coach," I replied. "I did not see any attempt to dribble. Even if she tried, she fell to the ground while holding the ball, so it's still Traveling."

"No, no, she was dribbling while on the ground! Didn't you see that?"

"No, Coach, I did NOT see that and now your version is changing...Please just let the Refs referee and you can focus on coaching. OK?"

He replied, "Hey, I'm just asking. I can ask, can't I?"

"Coach, you were NOT asking. You were attempting to influence me to change my call, which strictly speaking is a Unsportsmanlike Technical Foul."

"I'm just asking!"

"Coach, you 'ask' about almost every call that goes against your team. Quite frankly, us Referees get tired of all your asking and after a while just quit paying attention to you. THAT can be quite a problem if you want to call a Time Out and we figure you were just 'asking' about something else again and ignore your request."

After that he did not "ask" about any more calls the rest of the game......

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"Why Don't You Just Let Us Play Like Men?!"

So asked an "adult" male in a basketball league I recently refereed. 

"That would never be called a Foul in a college game," he whined about something the other Referee called.

I replied, "That WOULD be a Foul Call in any league and THIS is not a college game. This league is based on High School Rules, not NCAA or NBA."

"So why not let us play like men!?" He continued.

"Because you all play like a bunch of crybabies that complain every time we call a foul on YOU and then beg for a Foul Call every time you get barely touched by an opponent. If you played like men instead of crybabies we could Referee the game like you were men!"

Image "150116-F-QP401-465" by DoD News via Flickr, acquired under a Creative Commons license

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How NOT to Talk to a Referee

"Dream Shot" by Will Folsom via Flickr

Us Referees may be blind, it seems to some, but I assure you we are not deaf.

Yeah, we hear all the crazy stuff fans yell from the stands and then chuckle over the craziest stuff we hear during breaks in the game and at half time.

Like the folks that count out, "One, Two, Three, FOUR, FIVE, SIX. Ref aren't you ever going to call 3 Seconds!" When it is the DEFENSIVE team in the Key Area......

I submit to you, tho, IF-

Your child/ player tends to be a bit brutish, shoves people around & bulls their was thru people & attempts to drive to the basket, knocking over 2 defenders who established legal guarding positions, and in the process of falling to the floor themselves is accidentally whacked in the nose by one of the other players falling down......

And IF you come onto the court to check on your child, who is sitting on the floor after the collision they caused......

 And IF your child asks, "Why didn't the Ref call a Foul on the player that hit me in the nose......"

And If, while the Referee is standing next to you also checking to see if your child/player is OK, you reply, "I don't know. The Ref's are stupid!"

Don't not be surprised when you get the "Old Heave- Ho" and are invited to leave the premises.

That is one example of how NOT to talk to a Referee!

We tolerate a lot of abusive comments from the fans but we do have our limits......

We may be blind be we are NOT deaf.

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Is it ONE "Tweet" OR Two "Tweets?"

In basketball, when a Referee sees a Foul, a Violation or someone requests a Time Out the Ref gives a powerful single BLAST on the whistle while raising the hand straight up, high above the shoulder with the palm open in the standard "Stop the Clock" mechanic.

New Basketball Referees are frequently encouraged to "put some air in that whistle!"

Not so, I'm finding out in Volleyball......

Volleyball is a much more genteel and polite sport.

"John at Work" by David Fulmer via Flickr

Volleyball Refs do not blast their whistles. We "Tweet" them. Politely.

And sometimes I need to remember is it ONE Tweet or 2?

If I am the "R2" (the Ref on the floor in front of the Scorer's Table) and I see a Net/ Foot Fault or a ball out of bounds, I give ONE Tweet.

BUT, if a Coach asked for a Time Out , and I am the R2, I need to give 2 Tweets and then signal the Time Out making a signal similar to a Technical Foul in basketball and make the signal on the same side as the Coach that called the Time Out.

A Basketball Time Out is recognized by the Referee giving a SINGLE blast on the Whistle and raising the hand straight up, high above the shoulder with the palm open in the standard "Stop The Clock" mechanic. It is an automatic reflexive response for me after 20+ years Refereeing Basketball......

But it is not so automatic for me in Volleyball!

I spent most of last season calling Time Outs in Volleyball Matches like I do in Basketball.

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"We're Practicing Drawing Charging Fouls."

Several years ago I was working a Summer Basketball Camp and sitting on the sidelines prior to my next assigned game, just watching the teams warm up.

An out of state team started a drill where the Dribbler would come up close to the Defender and the Defender would flail his arms and plop onto his backside. "GREAT JOB! THAT'S GOOD!" The coach was hollering as he encouraged his players.

Eventually he walked down by where I was sitting and nodded a hello. "Ready for a good game?" He asked me.

"Every game is a good game for me to work!" I enthusiastically replied and then asked, "What is the purpose of this drill?"

"We're practicing drawing charging fouls," was the reply.

"PSUK Basketball - Bristol 2013-21" by Andrew Spillane via Flickr

"Looks the guys are practicing Flopping to me," was my comment to which he said, "Yes, you could say it looks like that."

I pointed out Flopping was an intentional act to fake being fouled and classified as a Technical Foul and having just seen and hear him say that was what they were practicing, I said, "So anytime I see one of your players hit the floor I gonna ignore it at first, start calling Blocking Fouls on them the next time and then just 'T' up anyone who keeps flopping."

Did not have a single one of those players even come close to a Flop the whole game.....Imagine that!!

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