Basketball
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...
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...
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...
Zone of Verticality Comes With Its Own Set of Challenges
A meeting this past season of the Wisconsin Basketball Officials Association (WBOA) saw a lively discussion break out regarding arm positioning as part of...
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...
See The Call, Be The Call
Whenever you work a basketball game, it’s always a good practice to be thinking — but not for too long.
Yes, it’s important to keep yourself mentally ahead...
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...
A Look Back at March Madness In A Bubble
J.D. Collins has heard plenty of colorful descriptions of his work during his time as an oncourt college basketball official and more recently in...
Captains’ Meetings That Matter
A basketball captains meeting plays a critical role in setting expectations and building respect before the game ever begins.
So much time is spent teaching...
Prep for Bang-Bang Plays
Crashes should not catch basketball officials by surprise. That’s a mantra from Jon Levinson, NCAA women’s basketball secretary-rules editor, and assigner for the Patriot...
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...
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...
Four Eyes Off The Ball
From years of being around high-level Division I men’s college basketball officials, Ray Natili learned to train his eyes and “quit looking at the basketball.” It’s a mantra...
Five Offseason Tips for Stress Free Officiating
F
lashback. Sitting in front of my computer, I take a peek at my inbox. It’s the middle of August and I’m waiting to see...
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...
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...
Stay Home in Primary
Supervisors want officials to master the fundamentals, creating good habits and developing a consistency to their game — characteristics shared among the elite in...
A Helping Hand With Flaming Fans
An official I know was having a tough night in one of the rural barns around here. The fans were braying, the coaches were...
Unsporting Behavior In the Eye of the Beholder
It’s often said great basketball officiating requires striking the proper balance between art and science.
That’s due, in part, to the fact that the rulebooks...
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...
Have Patience Considering Continuous Motion
“Two shots,” or “Going up!” Terms that are not used often enough. What many hear more often is, “No, on the floor!”
Ask yourself what...
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...
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...
