Basketball

Basketball

Bench Conduct Warning Proves Worth

R ecently, the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee approved a rule change to add a coach/bench personnel conduct warning (4-48). The committee’s goal was to...

No Substitute for Awareness

There is more to know than just foul or violation. Commonly astute officials might have heard once to have an awareness to what type...

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...

Prevent Free-Throw Huddles to Eliminate Delays

At best, it’s an unnecessary delay that interrupts the flow of the game. At worst, it’s an open invitation for gamesmanship that complicates critical moments...

Stick to the Plan When Covering Last-Second Shots

Although we might not think of it this way, basketball crews have set plays, just like the teams they officiate. If they don’t, they should. The teams rely...

Leaving the Court Has Consequences

M ost everyone knows, in the game of basketball, when the ball touches a boundary line or anything outside the boundary line, it is out...

No Autosave On Out-of-Bounds

One of the great things about being a basketball official is having to make quick and instantaneous decisions on many different types of plays that are happening at...

Honesty Starts with Yourself

If you’re not being honest with your partners, you’re lying to yourself, too. All too often, basketball officials attempt to leave the impression that every...

Don’t Waste a Chance for Self-Evaluation

Over the years, I’ve spoken to many officials approaching the end of their careers. They speak of being less keyed-up before games, grumpier during...

Understand Elevator Screens

O ne of the great things about basketball is that although there are many constants to the way the game is played, there are...
basketball, multiple whistle blasts

Multiple Whistle Blasts Effective in Certain Situations

If you watch a basketball game closely on TV, you are bound to hear multiple whistle blasts several times. Multiple tweets are not disallowed by rule, but they...

Postgames play a key role in officials’ growth

A s 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...

Flopping for Fouls has Repercussions

The NBA continues to have a real problem with “flopping.” League officials recently levied some fines and penalties for “faking being fouled,” and the rampant problem...

Keep Wandering Coaches Contained

Wandering coaches who drift beyond the coaching box often need reminding of the location of the box. Simple body language or hand gestures help to guide coaches to...

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...

For Basketball Officials, the Journey is the Destination

To achieve maximum personal success and productivity as a basketball official, one has to be highly motivated and have a positive attitude. Furthermore, to reach and...

Second Nature

The first thing most of us do in the morning is look at our alarm clock, watch or phone. When we look at our...

Team Control Is A Moving Target

When the basketball is loose, and opponents are fighting to gain control, officials are taxed to determine team control. The difficulty often comes from the unexpected — abnormalities...

How to Keep Your Head From Spinning

The athletic spin move is often one that players, coaches and fans love to see during a game and also one that makes officials...

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...

A Guide to Enforcing the Three-Second Violation

If there is one rule many officials are loath to enforce, it seems to be the three-second violation. For them, ruling a three-second violation carries the...

The Foundation of a Two-Person Crew

Interested in working a fast paced game where things are happening quickly, requiring you to stay completely focused? Then let’s partner together as a two-person crew for a...

Cue on Defender to Officiate 3-Pointers

With the game transitioning more and more to outside jump shots and three-point attempts, officials need to focus on three separate but similar areas: Monitoring defensive players as they...

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