How to get Ejected from a High School Basketball Game

If, after spending the better part of the game yelling at, protesting, criticizing the Referee calls and generally being an abusive nuisance, it might not be a surprise to find out that the Referee's tolerance level for such behavior may be rapidly declining...... In fact, the "tolerance level" may not make it to Half Time......

And if you are sitting right on the sidelines and object to the Referee calling a "T" on a player from your team who throws up his/her arms & does some sort of hopping up & down with his arms flapping up & down in some sort of pirouette/ dance to protest for being called for an obvious Foul and holler VERY LOUDLY at the Ref, who is about 15' away from you, "Ref, YOU SUCK"......You can expect to be ejected.

If you are sitting among the same group of fans that had the first fellow ejected for hollering, "Ref, YOU SUCK," and you object to a player from the same team being called for a Technical Foul for "Taunting" by clapping his hands in the face of an opponent he had just stolen the ball from and scored a basket against saying, "Bring it on, dude!" And you look directly at the Ref who is 5' away from you and yell loudly, "YOU ARE THE WORST REF'S EVER!"......You can plan on being ejected.

And when after the ejection, the husband/boyfriend immediately stands up and sticks a Cell Phone Camera in the same Ref's face and says, "I'm videoing you!"......You can plan on being ejected, too. Politely, but quite firmly and immediately so.

And when the ejected fan "Flips a Bird" at the other Ref while walking out of the gym and the husband/boyfriend yells, "F___ YOU!" (TWICE) at the Ref as he exits, the Ref's pretty much understand why they had to call 3 Un-Sportsmanship Conduct "T'S" on players from the same team in the game (and NONE on the opponent). The kids do reflect their parents......

Oh, and the fan that "Flipped off" my partner said she was going to write a letter to the AIA (Arizona Interscholastic Association) about the "out of control" Referees as she walked out of the gym. I'm sure the AIA will have great sympathy for her grievance......

You can meet such interesting people when Refereeing......

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Sometimes Ya Gots to Trust the Referee

Playing a round of Golf the other afternoon and ended up in a group, none of who I knew.

As the round progressed it became apparent 2 of the golfers were well acquainted- one was the Basketball Score Keeper at the High School he teaches at and the other was the District Athletic Director.

When I mentioned I Referee High School they both paused, looked at me and said, "THAT's why you look familiar!"

The the AD said, "I learned an important lesson from you."

I did not recall ever seeing the fellow before and asked how that was.

Turns out he was the AD at a local High School and did NOT like my NOT calling an "Over and Back" violation against an opponent.

He said, "I went into the Referee locker room at Half Time to ask for an explanation as to why you missed that call. You calmly pulled out your Rule Book. When I saw that it was all marked up with red ink underlining & yellow highlighter I realized I might have made a mistake in questioning your call......You turned to a page, held it out to me and said, "Here's the Rule." After I read it you said, "and this is how we call it" and explained it to me very clearly. I thought I knew the Rule but I was wrong and you had made the right call. So now each season I tell all my coaches to be sure and attend the AIA Coaches Meeting to learn the Rules. I don't want them to question the Ref's call and be wrong and be as embarrassed as I was with you!"

It is quite common among fans and even some coaches and AD's to be FAMILIAR with a Rule, but not REALLY know it.

So, if you're watching a High School Basketball game and see a player dribbling the ball near the half court line know this-until the Ball and BOTH feet of the dribbler cross the Center Court Line the ball is still in Back Court and the player can step BACK into the Back Court with no violation.

It drives fans, players & coaches crazy when that happens and the Referee does not blow the whistle, but the Referee is making the right call.


Sometimes ya gots to trust the Referee. He might just have spent a LOT of time studying the Rule Book!

(Pictures of my 2016-17 NFHS Basketball Rules Book. Authentic wear & tear.)

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There are No Lousy Games to Work

From time to time I hear Referees complain about a "lousy game" they worked. Or that they got a "lousy schedule," meaning they did not get games with schools of high caliber, of competition or prestige as they esteem their Referee skills or stature deserve......

Such comments are rather self-aggrandizing and just a bit objectionable, it would seem to me.

My personal Referee Philosophy includes, "Any game, Anytime, Anywhere." I just plain like to referee high school basketball! Sometimes it is a the small schools in old, unique gyms, that turn out to be the most memorable games to work.

And "Work every game like it is a State Championship."

I learned the later from one of Arizona's most esteemed High School Referees. Fritz Goreham. Fritz must be close to 100 years old by now (he claims 70 something, I think) and he is still out Refereeing games! The AIA presents an Annual Award to the Outstanding High School Referee designated as 'The Fritz Goreham Award'. So Fritz knows how to Referee!!

"WPSD CEO Steven Farmer talks with referee" photo by David Fulmer via Flickr

If anyone would have the "right" to complain about getting a 'Lousy' game it would have been Fritz......

Many years ago in my fledgling Referee Career, I had only recently been promoted to be a Certified Varsity Referee, which mean I was making more "Bad Calls" than I made "Good Calls". Fritz was accustomed to working State Championships and the top games each week with only the best Referee partners. Not guys like me.

This one nite, however, he was assigned ME as his partner for a game that matched a powerhouse team against a school in it's first year of opening. That meant the new school had only freshmen & Sophomores playing a Varsity schedule.

It was obvious this game would be lopsided. Clearly it would qualify as what many Referees would deem a "lousy game with a lousy Referee Partner."

In the Dressing Room for our Pre-Game Routine Fritz commented about the mismatch in team abilities with the almost certain probability it would be a "Blow Out" game and added, "But Vic, we're gonna work this game to the best of our ability as if it was the State Championship! The kids from each team deserve the best Referee effort we can give them. And that is what we are gonna give them!."

If it was a good enough philosophy for Fritz then, it was good enough for me now!

The final score was 70-1. The 1 point came on a Free Throw on a Foul I called with 11 seconds left in the game.

Walking to the Dressing Room Fritz said to me, "Vic, that last foul you called was one of the worst foul calls I've ever seen." Oh great, I was thinking. The legend of AZ High School Basketball thinks I not only blew a call but that it was one of the worst calls he's ever seen......

And then he added,"And it was one of the BEST Foul Calls I've ever seen. I sure did not want the game to end as a shut out. I was looking for something I could call, so I'm glad you called it to give the other team a chance to score!" So I can now take credit for the WORST- BEST Foul call Fritz has ever seen. I'll Take it!
Thanks Fritz!

"Any Game, Anywhere, Any time."

"Work each game as if it was a State Championship."

Come On, Ref 

Facebook 1/22/2015

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YOU be the Coach...

You are the Home team Coach.

Your team just scored a basket with 15.5 seconds to go in the game and you call a Time Out.

You are now LOSING by 5 points......and the other team will be inbounding the ball and heading for the opposite end of the court. Again now, there are 15.5 seconds left in the game.

It is your last Regular Season Game. If you WIN, you qualify for the first round of the Post Season Tournament Games. If you LOSE, you become a spectator at the Post Season Tournament games.

You call your LAST time out.

What do you tell your players to do?

You tell them to FOUL someone to stop the clock and hope the other team misses their Free Throw (they are in a 2 shot Bonus situation) so you can get the ball back and score, right? Preferably someone who is not a very good free throw shooter....

In comes the ball, NOT to the other team's Point Guard who is 8 for 8 from the Free Throw Line tonite, but to a recent Sub who is not one of the better players on the other team. (The Sub had replaced a starter that had fouled out.)

Your players makes minor foul contact on the opponent and my Referee Partner calls a Foul.

You holler at the Ref, "Why'd you call that foul!!??"

The opponent shoots and misses the 1st Free Throw, your team gets the rebound and races back down the court and your best shooter hits a 2 point shot to bring you within 3 point with 7 seconds on the clock.

The Visiting Coach calls a Time Out.

During the Time Out the Referee who called the Foul tells the Coach that since most Coaches DO want a Foul Call in that situation he called a Foul even tho it was minor contact that he could have ignored.

Ironically the Ref was thinking Coach would have screamed at him if he had NOT called the Foul.

You tell the Ref, "I didn't want a foul called and I never told my players to foul!"

Well, after the Time Out, the situation repeats with a quick Foul called against your team on a significant contact foul that possibly could have been called an Intentional Foul (which would give the opponent 2 Free Throws AND the ball. Game Over for your team!) But it was just called a regular Foul. (Maybe during this Time Out you DID tell your players to foul?)

The opponent again misses the 1st shot of a 2 point Shot Bonus and with 5.7 seconds on the clock, your player gets the rebound and races up the court to try for a 3 point shot and tie the game.

Most coaches would say this was an answer to a prayer, right?

Remember, you already used your last Time Out and CANNOT call another Time Out without costing your team a Technical Foul.

Your player, NOT your 3 point shooting expert, heaves up a shot with 2.5 seconds on the clock from about 30 feet away. Not many players are successful at hitting 30' shots, so this might not have been the best choice decision of the night......(And, YES, at least one of the Referees, the one away from the ball and play, IS keeping track of time on the clock.)

The shot falls short and an opposing player grabs the ball with 1.8 seconds on the clock and throws the ball to the other end of the court and time runs out.

As the Referee that made the Foul call runs past you to the locker room you holler out, "Dave, YOU cost us this game!!"

Was it really the Referee's fault your team lost the game?

Oh, did I mention 2 Starters from the other team had Fouled out in the 4th Quarter and that with 4 minutes in the 4th Quarter your team had a 6 point LEAD? The other team, with 2 starters out, managed to outscore your team by 11 point in the final 4 minutes of the game.

Yeah, you really should blame the Ref for your team's loss, shouldn't you?

Image Source

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What Happened to the 28 Foot Line!?

The "5 Seconds Closely Guarded" Rule has changed, several years ago, in fact........ but I understand if a mom or a dad now has a 14-18 year old high school student/basketball player that the rule changed AFTER Mom/Dad stopped playing. So them not being up to date I am OK with.

But a Varsity Coach?

Currently the rule is quite simple. If a Defensive Player has ONE foot within 6" of the Offensive Player's nearest foot a "5 Second Count" is started. You'll know when it starts because the Ref starts a distinct arm motion for the "Count". The defender does not even need to attempt to play defense and can just stand there motionless. It is the 6" distant that triggers the referee to start counting.

Photo by Ryan Dicky via Flickr, acquired and modified under a Creative Commons License

In days past, if the Offensive Player was dribbling and went below a line marked on the court 28' from the End Line the "Count" started over again. Not any more. The 28' line isn't even on most courts these days.

I called a "5 Seconds Closely Guarded" Violation and the Head Coach protested, "But he crossed the 28' line!!"

"What do you mean, Coach?" I asked (oh, I knew what he was talking about, but I was highly curious how this was going to play out).

"He crossed the 28' line. You did not start a new count!"

I replied, "What 28' line are you talking about, Coach?"

The coach was a bit flustered, convinced that I was some idiot Referee that did not know the rule as well as he did...

"The 28' line, Ref! Don't you know the rule?"

I was being polite and asked, "Yes, Coach I do know the rule, could you please show me what 28' line you are talking about?"

NOT seeing any 28' line on the floor where he expected to find it, he started to point, saying, "THAT 28 FOOT LINE RIGHT THER....."

He paused, turned to his Assistant Coach, quite perplexed and flummoxed and asked him, "Where's the 28' line?" The Assistant Coach looked up and down the sideline and shrugged his shoulders.

"Coach, that rule changed several years ago, the "5 Seconds Count" follows the dribbler anywhere he goes on the court."

"Are you sure about that?" The Coach asked, not wanting to give up the argument.

"Yes, Coach. That is why the 28' line was removed when your court floor was resurfaced, and you can't find it now."

And I off I trotted to get the game going again.

So, the next time you or someone you know is watching a High School game and the Referee calls some violation differently from how it was when you played, please double check the Rule before hollering that the Ref doesn't know what he/she is doing!!

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“I Don’t Talk to Assistant Coaches..."

I worked a game last nite where a 5’6’’ player drove into the key and jumped into a 6’5’’ player and then crashed to the floor.

The player’s Assistant Coach hollered out, “How can THAT NOT be a foul?!”

Being near the bench at the time I said, “It’s NOT a foul because your little player jumped into the biggest player on the court, who had established a legal guarding position, and got the short end of that stick! I would not recommend doing that again.”

When the Assistant Coach continued to protest, I blew my whistle and reported a “Bench Personell Warning.”

After getting a Bench Warning, any other problem with anyone on the Bench and it could be a Technical Foul on the Head Coach!

Then the Head Coach said, “What was that for? He didn’t say anything bad!”

I replied, ”No, he didn’t say anything bad, but he has been constantly complaining about calls all nite. If YOU have a question, as the Head Coach, I’m happy to talk to you about it. But I’m not talking with your Assistant, it’s annoying for him to keep yapping, I’m tired of hearing him and he’s done refereeing from the bench for tonite!”

Did not hear any more from the Assistant all nite. I think the Head Coach realized the next thing his Assistant might say would likely be a Technical Foul and in a game that had a maximum lead of 6 points either way all nite he did not want to risk that!

Also, since more than one of his players were trying the crash into the defense & then crash to the floor technique and NOT getting any fouls called,  he realized we knew what they were doing and did not want to press the issue?

As to the Assistant Coaches talking to the Ref’s, one veteran referee once said, “I don’t talk to Assistant coaches. In my games they do not exist. I only talk with Head Coaches.”

I have a rather low tolerance for Assistant coaches who want to referee from the bench, too……

High School Girl’s Basketball

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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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