Referees at the Roundtable
An informal gathering of basketball officials can be a great opportunity to improve your craft while in the company of men and women who share your passion for officiating and want to be better at mastering the rule book and their game managing skills.
The number of referees coming together is not as important as the mindset and spirit of those who are in this impromptu get-together. If the attitude is to share knowledge and experience, then most assuredly everyone will come away more informed for having taken part in this roundball roundtable session.
Invariably, the conversation will get to a point where someone offers up a personal experience (i.e. “wait until you hear what happened in my game tonight…”) or poses a question about something they saw in a game they were watching and he/she is wondering if the officials on the game handled it correctly.
You have been dropped into this referee roundtable, and your feedback will be greatly appreciated on these two scenarios:
Scenario #1: A-1 took a jump shot from the top of the key, and while the ball was in the air, A-2 shoved B-2 and the Lead official called a foul on A-2. Team B was in the bonus, but the referee said it was a team control foul and gave Team B the ball at the spot of the foul. Was he correct?
Scenario #2: In the third quarter, Team B was given a warning for huddling in the lane before a pair of free throws by B-1. Later in the fourth quarter, a player on Team B tapped the ball away following a score by Team B to slow down Team A from quickly inbounding the ball. The referee called a technical foul on Team B for delay of game. Was she correct?
The group has bantered both questions around some with great certainty in their answers, no matter how misguided some are…The group turns to you and asks for your thoughts, and because you are an avid viewer of the REF 60.com website you offer the following answers with as much humble swagger as you can muster:
“Well, we know that a team is in control of the ball when a player is holding, passing or dribbling a live ball inbounds or during an interrupted dribble. And we also know that neither team or player control exists when the ball is dead; during a jump ball or when the ball is in flight during a try or tap, so referee kicked the call…This is not a team control foul. Someone on the crew has to step up and make sure Team B gets to shoot one and one.”
The group is duly impressed with your explanation, and asks you to weigh in on the second scenario, to which you reply:
“Ok, a team is entitled to one warning per game for a throw-in plane violation; for huddling with the free throw shooter; for interfering with the ball after a score; or failing to be ready to play following a timeout. A repeat of any of these actions by a team would warrant a technical foul. Team B’s huddling in the third quarter and interfering with the ball after a score in the fourth quarter will result in Team B being charged with a technical foul. She got the play right”
Your insight and cool, clean delivery earned you some well-deserved respect from your peers, and hopefully you were able to take away something that you heard in the discussion that will help your game.
Whether or not you are given a moment in the spotlight with your peers is not as important as incorporating referee roundtable sessions into your officiating education process is. Confirming what you know, and exposing what you don’t, will only serve to make you a better referee.
NFHS Rule References
Rule 4-19-7; 4-12-6
Rule 9-2-11; 10-4-5
About the Author
In scenario #1, had the shot attempt by A-1 resulted in a successful goal, if the official ruled it a team control foul, then the basket would have to be wiped….putting more fuel on the fire 🙂
Hmmmm , think about that “NC”. Is there team control during a try? When would the team control foul need to occur to result in canceling the score?
No team control after the try has left the shooter, if the foul occurred before shooter released the try then it is a team control foul on A2. Lead making call should confer with partner prior to reporting and administration .
discovered at the end of regulation both books show a tie 42-42 but scoreboard shows 43-42 in a hostile crowd lots of commotion in comeback dust settles as team is shaking hands refs leave floor non home book discovers his running total shows 42-42 for both teams adds players totals up shows 42-42 asks for home book it is same point for point player for player but scoreboard operator had 43-42 refs leave floor but books are discovered they both match but homebook does not keep running score at top what is the ruling should this go down as a tie because home book has 42-42 but scoreboard read 43-42 on last second shot attempt but missed mind you there is a 9th grade student running board and young female on home book please advise ruling was at game since officials left the floor there jurisdiction is scoreboard was right but the books show 42-42 and they rule game is over based on clock officials never came over after game clock expired as crowd rushed floor and they bolted. They were still in the school building when made aware of home book had 42 points for both teams. Need help understanding what is official books or scoreboard? it just doesnt make sense how we don’t refer to official book as official score?
I have read it is a direct violation if the home book designated official if they don’t show a running tabulation/running score during the contest and in the end there has been no running total at top it is a violation……what is the violation?