But THAT'S His Shooting Style!

Had a close Basketball game in progress in the late 4th Quarter. A player for the team that was behind by 5 points fired off a Jump Shot from 3 Point range that missed. Just after his feet touched back down on the floor a Defensive Player bumped him hard & the "shooter" fell down.

Image by John Feinberg via Flickr.com

I called the Foul. it was the 7th Foul against the Defense so I awarded the "shooter" a "1 & 1" Free Throw Bonus.

The "shooter's" Coach went livid- "That Foul was on a 3 Point Shot!! He should get 3 Free Throws!!"

"Not so Coach. When the shooter returned to the floor the shot ended and the bump was a Common Foul on a player. The Player was no longer a shooter," I explained. 

Not satisfied, the coach vented, "But that's his shooting style!"

Shooting style? After he touches the floor?

Sometimes I hear a coach or player make such a ribald & spurious claim I have to chuckle to myself and wonder what that person would think if he saw & hear what a ridiculous thing they just said!

I replied, "Coach, whatever "shooting style" he has ended when his feet hit the floor!"

It's really a simple rule and I'm sure the coach knew it. At least I hope he did. Sometimes it's hard to tell if a coach really just does not know a Rule or if he/she is just playing dumb hoping to talk the referee into making a call that favors his / her team......Either way it is unfortunate when a coach tried to argue a call with a Referee when the Coach's claim is so easily seen to be bogus.

Certainly us Referees do blow calls from time to time. Just look at all the new reports last year about blown calls by NFL Referees- guys that are being paid $100,000 - $200,000 per season make mistakes. How can coaches and fans expect a Referee getting paid $55 per game to make perfect calls every time?

And when a Coach improperly argues a good call it just incites players & fans that likely do not even know it was a good call against a Referee that did his / her job correctly.

I will not be sending out any letters complimenting Good Sportsmanship to either school from this game.

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YOU DECIDE THE CALL, COACH!!!

Some might recall a post a few weeks ago title If You Had Kept Your Mouth Shut, when I ejected a Coach before the 1st Quarter had ended in a Girl's 8th Grade Basketball game.  

Well, that coach was back tonite coaching an 8th Grade Boys team, as the Visiting Team at the same school he'd been at when I ejected him....

No he dd NOT get ejected tonite. It seems he learned his lesson 4 weeks ago......

Tonight we had a play where my partner and I BOTH had simultaneous whistle calls (also called "Double Whistles"), but for DIFFERENT calls.

Most fans, even coaches, do not realize the Refs are NOT looking at the same thing all the time. With 2 Referees, One Ref looks at action around the ball-dribbler, defender(s), ect. That we call "On Ball."

The other Ref is watching everything else- "Off Ball".

My whistle was a Foul for an Illegal Screen on the Visiting Team.

My partner was calling "3 Seconds" on the Visiting Team.

My partner did not notice my whistle OR my fist in the air signaling a Foul, hollered "3 Seconds" and pointed to a spot for the In-bounds Play.

I figure the Home Team was gonna get the ball on either call and decided not to make an issue of my Foul Call. Play On!!

BUT, as I trotted by the Visiting Team Bench, the Coach hollers out, "How can that be 3 Seconds? His heels were out of the Key!"

I turned to him and said, "Coach, you'll have to ask my partner that since he made the call. I was not watching Off Ball. I was looking On Ball and was calling a Foul on your #30 for an Illegal Screen. If you feel strongly my partner made a bad call, I will void his 3 Seconds Call and Replace it with the Foul Call. You decide! Which call do you want......?"

He stammered a bit and I said, "So you're saying 3 Seconds Call was a Good Call after all, then Coach?" He nodded a meek "Yes" and sat down,

I couldn't help but smile as I continued down the court.......

Image by Russ Ferriday via Flickr.com

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It's All a Matter of Perspective

There are SO many things I wish I could explain to the fans while Refereeing a Game. Explain why a certain Foul was called or contact was NOT called as a Foul. Clarify a Rule, etc. the help them better understand the game, what and why the Ref's did what they did, but there are so few opportunities to do that during a game. And unfortunately, on too many occasions when I have tried to do that, my attempt to be helpful is met with some caustic remark by a disgruntled and unknowledgeable fan so that I ask myself why did I even try?

Too often, when questioning a Basketball Referee Call I made a Coach will say, "I've never heard that Rule before!"

And so I wonder......how may fans or Coaches, for that matter, have actually read the Rule Book before they go watch or coach a game?

I recently worked a Youth Game- 7th & 8th Graders. Some of the them are hopeful of playing Varsity High School Basketball, and perhaps beyond. But first they have to play high school.

So it is understandable that Youth Leagues adopt National Federation of High School Rules, right?

It is my opinion that the sooner an aspiring hoopster learns the Rules the better it will be for the youth & future coaches. Better to be called for a Rule Violation that loses the game in a Saturday Youth league than find out about it the really hard way and cost the team a State Championship, right?

So when I work a Youth game I apply High School Rules.


Here is a VERY simple Rule when a ball is In-bounded......

The defender CANNOT reach across the Out of Bounds Line. PERIOD.

Reach across and touch nothing? 1st Time is a Delay of game Warning. 2nd Time & it's a technical Foul.

Reach across & slap the Ball the 1st Time & THAT is a Technical Foul. NO Warning required.

Reach across & slap the player and THAT is an Intentional Foul. NO Warning required.

BEFORE I hand the ball to the Throw-In Player I look at the Defender, point at the Out of Bounds Line and say, "Do NOT reach across the Out of Bounds Line, OK?" They always nod & say, "Ok."

So I had a kid reach across the line on an inbound play. I called a Delay of Game Warning and reported it to the Scorekeeper.

Not long afterward the same kid, again after I told him not to reach across the line, reached across the line and slapped the ball, so I called a technical Foul.

The Coach asked for an explanation. As I trotted over to offer the simple explanation I could hear fans from the team holler about a "Bad Call", "Lousy Ref" and other typical claptrap. Yes, the Refs hear what is said, We just chose to ignore such comments unless they are excessive. Then we eject the person.

I explained the call and the Coach says, "Are you sure about that? I've been coaching 20 years and I never heard that Rule!"

I was not surprised......

"Yes, Coach, It's in the Rule Book."

"Are you SURE about that, Ref?"

"Yes."

"Is that some NEW Rule?"

"No. Been in the book for a long time."

So...... I do not mind if a Coach or Fan disagrees with me on a Foul Call. After all, it is a subjective call by the Ref. I expect the person / team & Coach that the Foul call was made against to object. Your perspective and mine is quite different. I might not have made the best call, but I made what I thought was the proper call from my vantage point and what I saw. You see what you want to see from a biased perspective. Them's the breaks!

"Perspective" by Brett Jordan via Flickr

But IF you want to holler that the Ref does not know the Rules......please make sure YOU really know the Rule! There might just be a lot of them pesky Rules you never heard about before if you never studied the Rule Book or had to pass a Test to Referee......

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No, the Coach did NOT go to the Pre-Season Rules Meeting......

The Arizona Interscholastic Association, at the Basketball Referee's Tip Off Meeting, mentioned there would be a Rules Meeting for the Coaches to review NEW Rules and discuss how, what and why Referees make certain calls. It was suggested it would be of great value to Coaches better understand the Rules and Refereeing.

At a Pre-Season Scrimmage I printed copies of this year's new Rules to give to the Coaches for when I reviewed new rules with the Players & Coaches prior to starting the game.

One Coach, who is notorious for berating Referee Calls, was skeptical about my explanation of a new Free Throw Lane Rule.

I asked if he had attended the Rules Meeting for Coaches.

He gave me a puzzled, "What Rules Meeting?" look and said "No."

I did NOT say it. I wanted to... But NOT going to the Rules Meeting probably has a lot to do with his constant complaining about Referee Calls.

He does not know the Rules as well as he thinks he does and he has no idea about Referee philosophy.

"Basketball Court" by Mohamad Zeina Via Flickr

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The Students Win!! The Students Win!! The Students Win!!

This should be shouted with the same enthusiasm as when the great Chicago Cubs Radio Announcer, Harry Carey, used to shout, "Cubs Win".....

I refereed the Staff VS Students Game at Benjamin Franklin High School (BFHS) This afternoon. The Staff likely will not be asking to be back again next year......

One teacher had 2 Fouls called on him in the 1st Quarter. He was a rather burly fellow & long past his prime playing days. About 6'1'' tall and 250 lbs or so. (I'm being kind here, folks!) He objected loudly to the 2nd Foul and asked a fellow Staffer to take his place because he couldn't take such lousy calls. (He calmed down after a fellow Staffer / Player told him to calm down because BOTH the Foul calls were legitimate!)

I had fun! I think the Students that played AND the Students that watched had fun, too

I called several Technical Fouls during the game. Only 1 was legitimate......

1. The Staff had 10 men & 2 ladies. The Students had 4 girls. 2 minutes into the game I called my 1st "T" on the Staff for "Violation of the Title IX Gender Equality for not playing a female within the first 2 minutes of the game.

2.  A "T" on a Teacher / Staff Player for "Assigning excessive Home Work."

3. A "T" on a Teacher / Staff Player for "Requiring Student to take too many notes in class."

4. A teacher decided to play in the 2nd Half after being a Spectator the 1st Half. When he entered the game a Staff Member dimmed the lights, then flashed them with a big build up about a "Special Player" entering the game. I "T'd Up" that teacher for "Illegal Participation" since his name was not in the Score Book before the game. (THAT was my only legitimate "T".....)

5. The MOST Satisfying "T" was on the Boy's team Head Coach, Jon Mott, for "A Coach Impersonating a Player."

Coach Mott had earlier come up to me saying he "wanted to have some fun of his own for the kids entertainment" and asked me to call a "T" on him and then Toss him out of the game.

After a Foul call I made, he rushed over & gave me a "Chest Bump" & started waving his arms around like he was all mad, hollering, "Toss me out! I want to get tossed out!" So I acquiesced and gave him the well known, "You're Outta Here" gesture and off the court he went to thunderous cheers from the students.

Photo by thelowrybrand via Flickr, acquired and modified under 

CC BY-SA 2.0 license 

The result would be FOUR technical Foul Shots for the Students with about 4 minutes left in the game.

The Students were down 17 points at the time. (I think some of the Staffers really wanted to win!!)

As the 1st student went to shoot 2 Free Throws for the 1st "T", I strolled over to the kids keeping score and running the Score Board and told them to score 5 points if the shot was made. It was a Boy, so I also told him to score 2 points if he just hit the rim but missed the the shot. He made 1 & missed 1. Then a Girl attempted the 2 Free Throws for the Ejection of Coach Mott. I told the Scorekeeper to score 5 points if she made a shot and 3 for a miss. She made 1 & missed 1. The score was tied!!! 17 points off 2 Technical Fouls. Imagine that!

6. My final "T" was with 2 minutes left and an all Men Staff team on the floor. I called a "T" for another "Title IX Gender Equality Violation for failing to have a Female Player on the Floor in the Final 2 minutes." (See, I told you the Male Staffers wanted to win and grab the "Bragging Rights" over the Students!!)

The Student Shooter made BOTH Free Throws to take a 2 point lead that they did not relinquish!!

The last 2 minutes were regular Basketball Referee calls. No more shenanigans!

By some miracle the Student Team held on for the win to the GREAT delight of the Student Section and Student Players!!

So, this might be the only time I get asked to work the Staff VS Students Game at BFHS, but I had plenty of fun, even if it is the only one!!

After the game a Student told me the "T" and Ejecting Coach Mott was his favorite part of the game.

Mine, too......

5/21/2014

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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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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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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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Sports Quotes You've Probably Never Heard

"Last year we couldn't win at home and we were losing on the road. My failure as a coach was that I couldn't think of anyplace else to play."
-Harry Neale, Professional Hockey Coach

"Blind people come to the ballpark just to list to him pitch."
- Reggie Jackson commenting on Tom Seaver

"I'm working as hard as I can to get my life and my cash to run out at the same time. If I can just die after lunch Tuesday, everything will be perfect."
-Doug Sanders, Professional Golfer

"All the fat guys watch me and say to their wives, 'See, there's a fat guy doing okay. Bring me another beer."
-Mickey Lolich, Detroit Tigers Pitcher

"When it's three and ten, you can have the milk drinkers; I'll take whiskey drinkers every time."
-Max McGee, Green Bay Packers Receiver

"I found out that it's not good to talk about my troubles. Eighty percent of the people who hear them don't care and the other twenty percent are glad you're having them."
-Tommy LaSorda, LA Dogers Manager

"My knees look like they lost a knife fight with a midget."
- E.J. Holub, Kansas City Chief's Linebacker regarding his 12 knee operations

"My theory is that if you buy an ice-cream cone and make it hit your mouth, you can earn to play tennis. If you stick it on forehead, our chances aren't as good."
-Vic Braden. Tennis Instructor

"When they operated, I told them to add in a Koufax fastball. They did but unfortunately it was Mrs. Koufax's."
- Tommy John, N.Y. Yankees, recalling his 1974 arm surgery

"I don't know. I only played there for nine years."
-Walt Garrison, Dallas Cowboys fullback when asked if Tom Laundry ever smiles

"We were tipping off our plays. Whenever we broke from the huddles, three running-backs were laughing and one was as pale as a ghost."
-John Breen, Houston Oilers

"This film looks suspiciously like the game itself."
-Bum Phillips, New Orleans Saints, after view a lopsided loss to the Atlanta Falcons

"When I'm on the road, my greatest ambition is to get a standing boo."
-Al Hrabosky, Major League Relief Pitcher

"I have discovered in 20 years of moving around the ball park, that the knowledge of the game is usually in inverse to the price of the seats."
-Bill Veeck, Chicago White Sox Owner

"Because if it didn't work out, I didn't want to blow the whole day."
-Paul Horning, Green Bay Packers running Back on why his marriage ceremony was before noon.

"I have a lifetime contract. That means I can't be fired during the third quarter if we're ahead and moving the ball."
-Lou Holtz, Arkansas Football Coach

"I won't know until my barber tells me on Monday."
-Knute Rockne, when asked why Notre Dame had lost a game

"I tell him 'Attaway to hit, George."
-Jim Frey, K.C. Royals Manager when asked what advice he gives George Brett on hitting

"I learned a long time ago that 'minor surgery' is when they do the operation on someone else, not you."
-Bill Walton, Portland Trailblazers

"Our biggest concern this season will be diaper rash."
-George Macintyre, Vanderbilt Football coach surveying the team roster that included 26 Freshman and 25 Sophomores

"The only difference between me and General Custer is that I have to watch the films on Sunday."
-Rick Venturi, Northwestern Football Coach

And the best of all...... Tampa Bay Bucs coach John Mckay when asked what he thought about his team's execution, replied, "I think it's a great idea"......

What's your favorite quote?

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Winning VS Student Athlete's Health

Winning IS important. Don't get me wrong. But there has to be some reasonable balance between the Coach or the Parent's desire for victory and the student athlete's health.

Recently I was Refereeing an OFF Seasons High School ages league......

A defensive player lost balance and fell backward, thumping her head on the court.

Following the National Federation of High School and the Arizona Interscholastic Association CONCUSSION Protocol Guidelines I instructed the Coach to remove the player from the game.

The PLAYER protested saying, "I hit my elbow, not my head."

The Coach protested saying, "She hit her Elbow and not her head."

I told them both I SAW her head bounce off the floor. She was out of the game until an authorized Medical practitioner could clear her to renter the game.

She stayed out the rest of the game....

I reported the possible Concussion to the Referee Coordinator and the League Director right after the game. BUT, she had another game immediately following and, as fate would have it, I was Refereeing that game, too......

Just prior to the start of the game the Referee Coordinator, League Director, Coach AND the Player's mother asked to speak with me.

"She says she did not hit her head. Only her elbow," was the claim, again.

I reminded the Coordinator & Director of our current National and State Concussion Protocol, saying, "A player will say anything to stay in a game, even that they did not injure something that they DID injure. I am not gonna risk her health for a Summer League Game OR my family's financial status by letting her play without proper Medical release and getting sued later by an attorney for letting her play if it turns out she did have a concussion."

The Mother, WHO  SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE MOST INTERESTED IN HER DAUGHTER'S HEALTH, was not happy at all, but the girl was not allowed to play the next game.

Why, oh why, would a parent or Coach risk a kid's health for a measly Summer League game?

Image "ouch." by Beth Rankin via Flickr, available and modified  under a Creative Commons Attribution License

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No, Coach, that is NOT a Back Court Violation……..

You know, it would really make the Referee’s job a LOT easier if more Coaches knew the Rules, OR if they do know the Rules, would not try to talk the Referee into a mistaken call.

Case in point-

I was in-bounding the ball near the Mid Court line on the Home teams side of the court.

The thrown ball was touched, but not controlled by the Offensive team and then bounded into the Back Court where the Offensive team recovered the ball.

Because that was my area to officiate, I moved into the back court and ended up close to the Visiting Coach who was hollering, “He touched it!! That’s Back Court!!”

“No, Coach, that is NOT Back Court. No Team Control was established in the Front Court”

He was not satisfied with my reply & I could see the Coach’s head shaking while muttering something to the players on the bench. Probably saying something about how that Referee doesn’t know the Rules……But since the game was in progress I did not have time to to pull out a Rule Book and explain the Rule to the Coach.

But so none of my friends holler at the Ref for a similar call, here is the Rule and Case Book explanations for you!!

2015 NFHS Rule 9 Section 9 BACK COURT-

Article 1- A player shall not be the first one to touch the ball AFTER IT HAS BEEN IN TEAM CONTROL in the Front Court if he/she or a teammate last touched or was touched by the ball in the front court before it went to the back court. (Capital Letters are MY emphasis).

2015 NFHS Case Book Page 25 4.12.2 Situation (b)-

During a Throw in by Team A, Player A1 throws the ball in-bounds from the End Line under A’s basket (b). The Throw In is touched by A2 before it goes across the Division Line where it is recovered by A3.

RULING- LEGAL in (b). There is NO Back Court Violation in (b) since Team Control had not yet been established in Team A’s Front Court before it went in to A’s Back Court. (Capital Letters are MY emphasis).

Now, if that Coach had known that Rule, there would have been no remonstration and no muttering that caused the bench players to doubt the Referees Rules knowledge………..

Perhaps the greatest affront to the Coach’s actions is to unfairly prejudice the players to think the Referees were the idiots, which can cause the players and team fans to doubt other close calls the Referees might make in that game.

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I Meant for You to Call it on Them!

Coaches like to "work" the Refs......or so they think!

A Coach "encouraged" me to "watch the Hand Checking" as I moved down the sideline in front of their Team Bench.

"OK, Coach, I will!" I replied.

Shortly after that I called a Hand Checking Foul on one of his players.

After I reported the Foul to the Score Keeper the Coach stood with his hands out to his side & asked, "What was that for?"

"You asked me to watch the Hand Checking, didn't you Coach?"

"YES!! But I wanted you to call it on THEM, NOT us!!" he blurted out in a more truthful expression than most coaches will admit to!

"Coach, I'm just trying to Call it Both Ways. That's what you want, right? Is there anything else you'd like me to watch for?" I said.

"No, you're calling enough for now...."

And that was the last Refereeing advice that Coach offered me for that game!

"Obey the referee rule" by David Fulmer via Flickr

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