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From the opening tip to the last-second buzzer-beater, there’s no letting up for the basketball referee. Before you step out on the hardwood, Officiating Basketball will help you ensure you’re in the right place at the right time to make the right call.

Based on officiating mechanics devised and endorsed by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), Officiating Basketball is the definitive guide for new and experienced high school referees. Included are guidelines for what’s expected of you as a basketball official, officiating procedures and responsibilities, and pre- and postgame duties.

More than 100 photos and illustrations of positioning, court movement, and signals support officiating mechanics for two- and three-person crews. Real-life cases demonstrate correct rulings, point out common officiating errors and how to avoid them, and challenge you to make the right call in game situations. A glossary of key basketball terms is also included. Officiating Basketball is not only a rules book--it’s a practical resource for implementing correct mechanics as developed and approved by the NFHS.

About the Author

Officiating Basketball was written by the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) in cooperation with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Based in Indianapolis, the NFHS is the rules authority for high school sports in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of officials nationwide and worldwide rely on the NFHS for officiating guidance. ASEP is a division of Human Kinetics, based in Champaign, Illinois, and has been a world leader in providing educational courses and resources to professional and volunteer coaches, officials, parents, and sport administrators for more than 20 years. ASEP and the NFHS have teamed up to offer courses for high school officials through the NFHS Officials Education Program.

Table of Contents

Part I: Basketball Officiating Basics
Chapter 1: Introduction to Basketball Officiating
Chapter 2: Game Procedures and Responsibilities

Part II: Basketball Officiating Mechanics
Chapter 3: Mechanics Overview
Chapter 4: Two-Person Crew Mechanics
Chapter 5: Three-Person Crew Mechanics

Part III: Applying the Rules
Chapter 6: The Game
Chapter 7: Play
Chapter 8: Violations, Fouls, and Penalties

Read 4 Excerpts from this Book Below.

Growing as an Official

Most of this chapter so far has been devoted to what it takes to officiate at the high school level. This section considers some ways you can continue to develop as an official. Getting your foot in the door and beginning to officiate high school games is one matter; continuing to improve as an official is another. It’s the officials who experience this growth who are sought out for the big games and who earn the reputation of being a top-notch official.

Here are several ways to continue your development:

• Stay up on the rules. Make sure you stay up on changes in the rules. Begin reviewing the rules, including any changes, at least a few months before the season tips off. This studying should continue throughout the season, right up to the last game. Even veteran officials should brush up on the rules before the beginning of the season.
  
• Attend workshops and clinics. Attend rules interpretation meetings and officials’ clinics sponsored by your state association or local officials groups. You can also benefit from informal gatherings of officials in your area. If rulings for controversial situations come up in clinics and they don’t appear to be covered in the rules book, contact your state association office. They will either know the proper interpretation or they will secure it promptly.
  
• Gain experience. In the early stages of your career, don’t hesitate to accept city league, charity, intramural or recreation league games. These contests are excellent opportunities to hone your officiating skills and network with other officials and people in the community. Basketball camps and clinics present another opportunity for practice. There are numerous girls’ and boys’ instructional camps during the summer; don’t miss out on this valuable experience. Coaches and camp administrators are always looking for officials for scrimmages and games.
  
• Find a mentor. Hook up with an outstanding veteran official who is willing to mentor you. Many experienced officials are eager to help and support inexperienced officials. Veteran officials know that the quality of games increases when all officials are competent. There’s no such thing as too many top guns.

• Develop a support network. Maintaining contact with other officials is another way to stay in the loop. Some officials find it useful to organize small group discussions or meet informally on a regular basis. It may even be possible to have these sessions online. Another idea is to have monthly teleconferences or online conferences. You can research the Internet to find out more about setting up online meetings. Be sure you have a moderator and everyone understands the protocol of the meeting. Or, do it the old-fashioned way: face to face. There’s much to be gained from meeting in person if you and other local officials can do so.
  
• Connect with national and state associations. As a high school official, you have the opportunity to become a member of the nation’s largest officiating group, the NFHS Officials Association. The NFHS Officials Association offers insurance coverage, education, equipment, newsletters and ongoing support. You also will become a member of your state officials’ association, through which clinics and workshops are offered and you can keep up on rules changes and other matters.

When you make a serious commitment to officiating, you can continue to learn, improve and advance. If you don’t make this commitment, you won’t be helping yourself or the sport.

Remember, good officiating is the key to a quality game, one that puts the focus on the players. Never minimize the role that you play in keeping the game on track and under control. Your hard work, preparation and knowledge will go a long way toward keeping the game fun, competitive and fair.

Time Outs

You need to understand several aspects of time-outs, including

• time-out requests,
  
• time-out mechanics and
  
• injury time-outs.

1. Sound your whistle while giving the signal to stop the clock.
   
2. Let the players clear the floor before turning your back to them to report the time-out.
   
3. As you move to the reporting area, look for the coach of the team calling the time-out to see what type of time-out to charge (full or 30-second).
   
4. Within the reporting area, give the appropriate time-out signal, verbally indicate the team color, and verbally and visually state the number of the player requesting the time-out. If the head coach is making the request, form a “C” with your hand. Then visually and verbally direct the timer to begin the time-out period. Notify the coach when all allotted time-outs have been used.

Positioning during a time-out depends on the size of the crew and is explained more fully in the following chapters on two-person and three-person crews. In general, you should maintain good posture and stay alert during a time-out. For 30-second time-outs, you and your partner should position yourselves at the top of each free-throw circle arc. For 60-second time-outs, you should position yourselves at the nearest block of the free-throw lane, opposite the table. During the intermission between quarters (first and second, third and fourth), your position is the same as for a 60-second time-out.

At the warning signal (the first horn), the officials should step toward the team huddles and notify the coaches and players by raising an index finger and saying, “First horn.” Try to make eye contact with the captain or assistant coach. Then move to your proper position to resume play.

Make sure that each team has five players on the court. After the second horn sounds to end the time-out, the administering official sounds the whistle to indicate that play is ready to resume. Signal to start the clock.

Injury Time-Outs
If a player is injured, call an officials’ time-out to protect the player, if necessary. When you need to call an injury time-out, do so and beckon the player’s bench immediately. The injured player must leave the game until the next opportunity to reenter after the clock has started, unless that player’s team calls a time-out. If an apparently injured player is ready to resume play within a few seconds and the bench has not been beckoned, the player may remain in the game. In that case, resume play as quickly as possible.

It’s up to the officials to determine if a player has been rendered unconscious. A player who was rendered unconscious must leave the game and cannot return unless a physician provides written authorization. Do not touch an unconscious player.

If a player appears to be bleeding, has an open wound or has an excessive amount of blood on the uniform or body, the player must leave the game and not return until after the clock has started and a substitution opportunity occurs, unless his or her team calls a time-out. All bleeding must be stopped, open wounds covered and blood cleaned off the uniform (the uniform can also be changed) before the player can participate.

Free Throws

To administer free throws, both officials in the two-person crew must remember to make eye contact with each other and visually signal to each other the number of free throws. Make sure that the lane spaces are properly occupied. Take a final look at the table before administering the free throw.

The lead official visually and verbally indicates to the players the number of throws, bounces the ball to the thrower, and backs out of the lane. The lead stands about four feet from the nearest lane line, about three feet off the end line and also watches the opposite lane line plus the first space on the side of the scorer’s table. For more information on mechanics during a free throw, refer to pages 44 through 45 in chapter 3.

The trail official should assume the standard free-throw position, just behind the free-throw line extended and halfway between the near free-throw lane and the sideline. In addition, the trail official checks the position of the thrower’s feet and begins the visible count using a wrist flick, being careful not to distract the shooter. As the trail official, you should also do the following:

• Continue to observe the thrower’s feet in relation to the free-throw line and watch for a violation by the thrower.
  
• Observe the top three spaces on the opposite lane line for violations and immediately give the appropriate signal when either team violates.
  
• Step toward the end line when the thrower releases the ball.
  
• Watch the flight of the ball and note whether it goes through, contacts or misses the ring.
  
• Watch the rebounding action, keeping an eye out for goaltending or basket interference.
  
• Signal to start the clock if the final throw or the first throw of a one-and-one is unsuccessful and the ball remains live.

Free Throw After Technical Foul
After a technical foul, administer the free throws with no players along the lane. The lead official administers the free throws while the trail official moves to the best position for supervision. Following the second free throw, the lead official bounces the ball to the trail official, who goes to the division line on the side of the court opposite the table and administers the throw-in.

Free Throw After Intentional or Flagrant Foul
After an intentional or flagrant personal foul, no players are allowed along the lane for the free throws. The lead official administers both free throws while the trail official moves to the best position for supervision. The throw-in occurs at the out-of-bounds spot nearest to where the foul occurred. The official responsible for the line from where the throw-in is to take place administers the throw-in.

Three Official Basic Principles

A three-person crew consists of a lead official, center official and trail official. In this section we’ll examine the basic principles of officiating in such a crew, including general positioning and triangle coverage.

General Positioning
In this section we’ll address the general positioning of the lead, center (C) and trail officials.

While a two-person crew often maintains diagonal court coverage, a three-person crew maintains wide triangle coverage. Each official is responsible for an area of coverage that remains the same on and off the ball. Always be aware of the location of the ball, the players and your crewmates, and never turn your back to the court. All officials call plays that they clearly see, regardless of whether the plays occur in their area of responsibility.

Lead Official
When you are lead official, you assume an initial position of depth, generally four to six feet, off the end line and take end-line responsibility. You are on the trail official’s side, though you adjust your position according to ball position between the lane extended and the arc--you move between those two areas while staying off the end line.

Center Official
When you are the center official, you take an initial position in line with the free-throw line extended and have sideline responsibility from end line to end line. You remain the center official on the other end of the court when the ball initially changes possession, though your position might change later on.

Trail Official
As trail official, you take an intitial position about 28 feet from the end line, near the top of the three-point arc and the sideline. You have division-line and sideline responsibility from end line to end line. Your depth of coverage in the frontcourt is dictated by game action. When the ball is between the division line and the 28-foot mark, you should move toward midcourt to get an angle between the players. Once the ball goes below the 28-foot mark, you close down, or if a shot is taken, you must be prepared to close down around the 28-foot mark.

Two other matters of note for a three-person crew:

• When a team employs a delay or spread offense, all officials should maintain normal officiating positions and responsibilities.
  
• When the ball goes out of bounds and the responsible official needs help, look to the official sharing that area of responsibility, who should be prepared to give assistance.

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