Basketball
Don’t Match Fouls on The Other End
It is understood that the goal of matching is to pair likenesses. Millions of dollars are being spent every day to find and make that perfect match. The...
Stay on Script With Signals
Like it or not, we officials are on a stage of sorts, playing a role and contributing to the production. By that standard, we...
Officiating Loose-Ball Action
There are a few rulings you can make that can affect possession. Rulings such as traveling, three seconds, loose ball fouls and illegal dribble...
Focus on the Feet to Get Traveling Rulings Right
There are those who proclaim that the block/charge call is the most difficult in basketball. Consistently getting traveling rulings right at the end of...
Big-Small Match-up Awareness
The ballhandler dribbles up the court and, as the lead official, you are working to find the best possible position along the endline to officiate the play. Some...
Free-Throw Mechanics Deserve Pregame Attention
W
hen thinking about the mechanics you use as a basketball official, where do you put the bulk of your study and practice? Proper location...
Keys to Cutting Down Correctable Errors
During any game, a mistake by an official or scorer can be made. For officials marked by inattentiveness and indifference, change “can” to “will likely.” For officials working with...
Crews Need To Handle Double Whistles Correctly
Perhaps one of the more famous double whistles in recent memory happened in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals. To set the scene: It’s the final 40...
The Shot
As an exhausted Tom Clark settled back into the aisle seat of his Delta Airlines flight the morning of March 29, 1992, a slight...
Team Officiating Beyond Out-of-Bounds Plays
Officials who are looking for a way to distinguish themselves should look no further than the topic of team officiating. The best officials at all levels have...
New York’s Rucker League: Where Basketball Officials Hone Their Craft
Basketball players at every level use the summer months to improve their skills on the court. They often do so by playing in as...
Keep Focus Sharp at the Buzzer
Most of us are well aware that bad judgment or lack of focus in the last minute of a game can destroy the other...
Solving the Two-Call Conundrum
Does anybody remember the old days when basketball was a non-contact sport and most fouls were easily identified and called? I can hear you...
Listen to Everything You Hear
When was the last time you heard someone say, “Consider the source”? That saying has been around for as long as one can remember, but what is the...
You’ve Got the Look: Why Basketball Officials’ Appearance Matters
By Tim Sloan
It’s well known among the basketball crowd that, “You can’t teach tall.” You can train players to dribble, shoot, pass and guard,...
Start Your Game on the Right Track
Starting the game on the right track helps everyone get off to a smooth start. Starting on a bad note can set the tone...
5 Minutes with J.D. Collins
Hometown: Hartford City, Ind.
Experience: NCAA national coordinator of men’s basketball officiating; former coordinator of officials for the Mid-American Conference and Summit League; former consultant...
Use Both Scorers to your Advantage
Editor’s note: This article specifically mentions high school examples. NCAA M/W require two scorers, unless one is acceptable to the referee (2-1.1.b).
I have been...
Careful with Explanations
There may never be a game we officiate that is free from controversy, in which every call is met with agreement from two compassionate...
Proper Three-Person Rotations Rely on Science and Art
As more states and officials’ associations transition to three-person mechanics, lead officials need to become more active and recognize when to rotate ball side.
Gone are the days of...
Setting the Tone
So much time is spent teaching young officials about rules knowledge, game management, proper mechanics, court coverage and the like. Heck, there are some...
Ups and Downs of Jump Balls
Jump balls set the tone for the rest of the game. It’s the first action directly related to the game, and that first impression...
Appreciating Every Game
It's easy to get caught up in chasing the next assignment, the next postseason opportunity, the next rung on the ladder. But every now...
Let’s Meet Up
There are times in a game when officials should get together as a crew. There are times when officials shouldn’t get together.
During warmups is...
