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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An Unexpected and Much Appreciated Compliment

Usually by the time we are done dressing after Refereeing a game, most of the fans have cleared out.

This week tho, David Dixon & myself had the chance to Referee a Sectional First Round Playoff game at 5:15PM which was followed by another Play Off Game at 7:00PM.

So instead of dressing and leaving, we cleaned up, then dressed in our street clothes and went to watch the 2nd game.

Image by Susanne Jerome via Flickr.com 

As we were sitting in the stands at Half Time of that following game, a fellow I'd never seen before walks up, shakes our hands and says, "You guys worked a great game tonite!" A bit surprised at the unexpected compliment I smiled and asked, "Which team were you rooting for?" He replied, "Neither of them. I just came to watch some Tournament Basketball."

"Well THANKS!" We both said, and I added, "It seemed from the crowd's reaction that the fans for neither team thought we did a good job, so we really appreciate your compliment." (It HAD been a raucous crowd at a "neutral" site. The school Athletic Director & his On Site Security had been quite busy trying to calm down fans from both teams. Multiple lead changes, a 2 point margin at half time and the game winning basket was scored with 2.8 seconds on the clock for a 1 point win in a VERY intensely played game! Indeed it was a GREAT game to work!)

The fellow stopped, turned back and said, "I've seen a lot of High School Basketball Referees work over the years. Forget about the fans. You guys ARE good!"

He never said who he was or what his experience with Refereeing was. He just turned back around and walked back to his seat, which turned out to be clear on the far side of the gym and in the upper level from where we were siting. So his coming to compliment us was not just a matter of passing by us on the way to the Concession Stand at Half Time. It was a deliberate effort to speak to us and required some effort on his part.

Fan comments, pro and con, after a game are common. But the way this fellow spoke- in particular saying, "I've seen a lot of Referees WORK," was a very interesting comment.

Fans will say "you 'Reffed' or 'Refereed' a good game," but fans do not say "worked."

"Worked a game," is a phrase common to Referees, tho. Perhaps that fellow was a former referee himself?

So we have no idea who this fellow was or what prompted him to make the trek clear across the gym to compliment a couple of relatively nondescript Referees he'd never seen, but we certainly do appreciate his doing it. Definitely takes the sting out of a coach recently saying we were the worst referees he'd ever seen!!! (I think that coach might have been a bit biased, tho......)

A couple more Play Off games to "work" before the season ends for us and we are looking forward to more intensely contested games and lots of fun "working" them!

2/10/15

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Maybe It Is A Silly Rule

The Referees do not write the Rules......BUT we are expected to apply them correctly, even if some Rules do seem silly to Coaches, Fans & Players.

They may even seem silly to the Refs but that is not their problem.

No Referee likes to start the game out by having to tell players they are wearing illegal uniforms items or apparel.

So please do not make a big fuss when the Referee simply asks players & Coaches to follow the Rules.

Some examples-
There are very specific Rules about Leg & Arm Sleeves & Head Bands in High School Basketball. Only certain colors are allowed:

• White, Black, Beige OR the dominate color of the Team Uniform

• If more than 1 player wears leggings, sleeves, etc they ALL have to be the same color.

• Headbands cannot have extensions, no matter how stylish they may be!!

• An undershirt must match the dominant color of the Jersey.

• NO jewelry- Nose rings, ear rings, bracelets (even plastic), necklaces, ect.

Maybe they can wear that stuff in the NBA, but NOT in High School......

Every year for the first 3 weeks of the regular High School Basketball Season my partner and I are have to inform Coaches and Players they are wearing illegal stuff. At almost every game.

How can that be!?

Have other Referees been ignoring these uniform violations? I hope not!

Are these players & Coaches thinking, "Hey, maybe these Refs will be "cool" and not enforce the Rules or not notice the illegal stuff?"

I don't know.

But please do not roll your eyes or holler out inane babble about how the Refs should "watch the game and not worry about how the players are dressed." How the players are dressed IS part of the Referee watching the game.

We are just doing our job. Hopefully Players, Coaches and parents can catch on and do their jobs getting their players properly attired for their games so the Refs do not have to be "The Bad Guys" and can actually focus on the game itself!!

Image by Daniel X. O'Neil via Flickr.com

1

Ref's Can't See Anything

A player lost a Contact Lens in a Pre-Season Scrimmage. Naturally everything came to a halt as players & coaches searched for the missing lens......except me and my Referee Partner.

A fan sitting close by us asked, "How come you Ref's aren't helping look for the Contact Lens?"

I turned around & quipped, "No one ever asks us to help look for Contact Lenses. You all know us Ref's can't see anything!"

The fan got a good laugh out of that!

Image by Ken Teegardin via www.AssistedSeniorLiving.net

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Refereeing Basketball vs Volleyball

Firstly, in 25 years of Refereeing High School Basketball I've been hit in the head ONCE by an errant pass during Warm Ups.

In Volleyball I get hit almost every game!!!

Basketball Warm Ups are right in front of the Referees and tho there may be several balls in use, usually only a couple are in the air at any given moment and almost always aimed at the basket.

But in Volleyball Warm Ups serves, practice spikes, practice bumps & sets fly every where from on the court and unofficial warm up areas behind the score's table.

No one is safe from being hit, even the Score Keepers & Timer sitting as the Score's Table before the games.

And when a kid gives you a silly grin and says "Sorry!" You get the feeling that he / she somehow just won a bet with a team mate that he / she couldn't hit the Referee......

Secondly, only in Volleyball does a Ref climb a ladder and become a target for miss hit balls. Any game that I do not get knocked off the wobbly ladder I consider a success regardless of how many calls I might have missed.

Sometimes when hanging onto the ladder and ducking from missiles I feel like a trick pony rider hanging off the side of the pony trying to aim at a target from under the horse's belly. It's hard to see anything from that position and I'm prone to miss something, Just getting on top is an achievement......

Other than that, I calls 'em as I sees 'em!!

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Halloween Nite At The HS Volleyball Match

200 students showed up last night for "Senior Nite" and the last Volleyball Home Game of the season on Halloween nite.

At least half were in costume......

Image by Katie Morrow via Flickr.com

The funniest to me, was a kid in black shoes, black pants, dark sunglasses & a "blind person's cane"...... and a black & white Referee shirt.

He was "escorted" into the gym by a kid dressed as a slice of Pumpkin Pie holding the Blind Ref's elbow, typical of escorting a blind person. Very clever histrionics, indeed!

One of the really fun things about Refereeing High School Sports is the Student Section antics, Basketball and Volleyball puts the kids almost right on the court!

They can really be entertaining and crazy!!

Occasionally they can get a bit out of line (like at this basketball game) and someone needs to be invited to leave ("Tossed" in more vernacular terms).

Can you guess which student I would have "tossed" first if that Student Section had gotten out of control............? Yeah & the Pumpkin Pie would not have been far behind!

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Push It

You know it's gonna be a LONG nite..........

Image by USAG Livorno PAO via Flickr.com

When you show up to Referee a High School Summer League- 4 games over 4 hours- and you know the Coachs' favorite thing to holler at their players in Summer League is "Push it!!" Meaning RUN DANG IT!!

Just as you pull the elastic "sleeves" on over your knees, lace up your "Runnin' Ref" shoes and take your first step to loosen up you feel a tweak in your left knee!

And the tweak doesn't go away after stretching.

So you pop down 2 Tylenol- 500 mg each and cross your fingers.

The tweak finally goes away in the 1st quarter of the LAST game........

But that might be because you're so tired you stopped running in the 4th quarter of the 3rd game!

But the last game is the 2 best teams you've had all nite and therefore the best game of the nite.

So now YOU "Push It" to keep up with the kids and give them the game they deserve.

Yep, it WAS a long nite......

And now that I'm home, showered, had some of my favorite Birthday German Chocolate Cake & Vanilla Ice Cream and sitting at the computer typing this missive, that tweak has come back to say "Hello, remember me?"

Better go find my Ref Bag and dig out some more Tylenol to sleep?

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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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She Was Almost Over the Line, Ref!

I was working a Holiday Girl's High School Tournament.

Visiting team is bringing the ball from the Back Court after In-bounding following the Home Team making a basket.

A team is allowed 10 seconds to get the ball over the Mid Court Line. It's a really easy call to make... Count to 10 seconds and if the ball is still on the Back Court side of the line, toot the whistle and give the Violation Mechanic.

Image by Todd Blosser via Flickr

As usual, I made me Visible 10 Second Count. I got to 10 Seconds, allowed another 1/2 seconds or so- just to be sure my count was not too fast- then I sounded my whistle and gave the Ten Second Violation signal.

A Visiting Team parent hollers out in disgust, "Oh, come on Ref!! She was almost over the line!"

It's a moments like this I wonder if that same parent would have the same opinion if I did NOT call a 10 Second Violation on the opposing tram in a similar situation?

Surely that fan would holler out, "Oh, come on Ref!! She was almost over the line!" Don't ya think?

No, I don't think so either......and THAT sort of bias is why fans & coaches do not Referee the games.

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Then You're Gonna Need to Call the Cops!!

In a recent High School Basketball game a fan had become quite belligerent. It was a woman who was pushing a baby stroller along the sideline at the end of the court.

Neither my Referee partner or I had said anything to her when a school Security Guard stepped over to ask her to calm down.

She refused and got even louder.

The Security Guard said if she did not calm down he would make her leave the gymnasium.

To that comment she shouted, "If you try to do that, then you're gonna need to call the Cops!"

The Security Guard turned, pointed to the far end of the gym and said, "There's one right there and HE's the one who sent me over to tell you to calm down or leave."

We did not hear anything from that fan the rest of the game......

I never cease to be amazed at what outrageous things some fans think is acceptable behavior at High School Athletic Events!

Image "Police" by Matty Ring via Flickr

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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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No One Likes the Referee Calls. Get Use to It!

It's all a matter of perspective......good or bad Referee calls, I'm talking about......

If the foul or Violation is called on your opponent you think it's a good call! And your opponent thought it was a bad call! Perspective.

Oftentimes I'll hear a Coach in a High School Game, after I make a call on the opponent, shout, "Good Call!!" To which I reply, "Aren't they ALL 'Good Calls,' Coach?" Most Coaches will nod yes, or even chuckle & say, "Yes they are." One Coach said, "Yes, but some calls are more good than others!" Another said, "I wish you'd make more "Good Calls" on them and fewer on us!"

Sometimes that “bad call” your complaining about is the Ref adhering to the rules. Odds are, unless you’ve studied the Rule Book as much as the Refs do, there are probably some pesky rules you don’t know. Like I've said in my post If Your Gonna Yell at the Ref… it's best to know the rules.

Folks, it's EASY to play or spectate and make the game calls. It's HARD to actually be the Referee. I joked with Coach Jon Mott, who use to be the Globe High School Boy's Varsity Basketball Coach after he volunteered to refereed a church basketball game with me a few years ago. I asked him, "Did you even blow the whistle?" He said, "Yes, 3 times, but you also blew the whistle on the same calls." Then he said, "I wanted to blow the whistle a couple of other time but by the time I tried to blow the whistle the play was gone and it was too late!" Trust me, I have Refereed games for Globe High School and Coach Mott does not have trouble yelling, "That's a FOUL" from the bench when he's coaching a game. But even after all of his years of experience "refereeing from the bench" it's still tough to be the Referee on the floor and make the call.

Sometimes a Referee can get caught up watching a well-played game, so well played he gets distracted by the quality of the game itself and he sees something happen and thinks to himself, "Someone should have called that! Oh no, I'm THAT SOMEONE!!" The call is missed and it's too late to make it. It’s the same thing that happened to Coach Mott when he put on the black and white stripes. Don’t forget, Referees are fans of the game too, and we are human!

Have you ever watched a B-ball game and hear the announcer's say that was a perfectly called game? Nope. Not gonna happen. Too much happens too fast for 2 or even 3 Referees to see it all. Sometimes a big fellow, and there are usually a few of those in every game, steps between the play action and the Referee and the Referee's vision is completely blocked out just the instant a likely foul occurs and he misses the call. Too bad. Even the best Referees in the world- NBA, NFL, MLB, and NCAA often blow a call. Critical calls, too! Just keep playing.

"Stephen Curry" by Keith Allison via Flickr

NO ONE LIKES THE REFEREE CALLS. GET USE TO IT! Sometimes the Referee isn't real happy with the call he just made, either, just like you're not happy when you fire up an "Air Ball." Mistakes happen.

Billy Kennedy is a former Arizona High School & Junior College Ref currently in the NBA. He got his "Big Break" into the NBA during a NBA Referee Strike a few years ago. In a game with the Detroit Pistons, Doug Collins (I think he was the Detroit Pistons Head Coach) Billy made a call that Collins did not like. "I've been in this league for 20 years as a player and a coach and I've NEVER seen a Ref call like that before!!" Yelled the Coach. Billy's reply? "Coach, I've been in the league 2 weeks. Get used to it!!"

At the end of each game, every Referee makes some good calls and some bad calls. Hopefully a lot more good than bad, but they made what they thought was the proper call from their vantage point and what they saw. You may not have seen what they saw, or have the rules knowledge to know whether or not it was a “good call” but the calls have made. “Get used to it!!”

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School Motivational Mottos VS Coach Antics

In nearly every school I referee at I see large posters proclaiming a variety of virtues the schools wish imbued into their student's consciousness- Honesty, Integrity, Fairness, Courtesy, RESPECT for others, ect.

via

And so I wonder what the School Administrators are thinking when they hire Coaches that often make a mockery of those sort of ideals.

A case in point-

Refereeing a Summer League game this week I called a Player Control Foul. The Player, rather displeased with the Call (when are they NOT?), turned his back on me and rather than bounce the ball to me, flipped it behind and towards the End Line, away from me & any other players. The action cause the game to be unnecessarily delayed while the ball was retrieved.

I called a "Delay of Game WARNING" on the Player. Because it was disrespectful, I could have "T'd Up" the Player but did not want to go that far. I figured a warning would be enough to teach the lesson of courtesy towards a Referee. I also figured a Coach might appreciate a Warning instead of a "T"......

Then I heard the Coach say something to the player on the bench that asked what the call was that sounded something like, "The Ref was to lazy to get the ball himself." Because I did not clearly hear the comment I ignored it.

A Ref may ignore something, but that does not mean the Ref will forget it......

Not long after that incident I called a Foul on the Opposing Team. THAT player, without exhibiting an attitude of disgust with the Call, lobbed the ball toward the spot I pointed to as the Inbounds Spot where my Referee Partner could collect it for the Inbound. It did not delay the game.

The initial Coach sarcastically hollered at me, "Is THAT gonna be a Delay of Game Call, too?"

(Now folks, it is never a good idea to try and upstage the Referee or act in an outwardly disrespectful manner. The Ref might be the Worst Ref Ever, but it is pretty much a guarantee that the Ref will still be there at the end of the game whereas anyone that overly irritates said "Worst Ever Ref" might not still be in the gym at the end of the game!)

"No, Coach," I replied. "It will not. But your disrespectful comment WILL be a Technical Foul!" And I "whacked" him with a "T"!

via

I think the school ought to review their motivational mottos with that Coach before the Season begins this coming year!

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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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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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