A
Dummy’s Guide to Basketball Officiating!
Mechanics
Fouls
Hand signals for fouls
Violations
Hand signals for violations
Personal Experience
Works Cited
Bored at home? Like the sport of basketball?
Looking for a part time job that allows you to be around basketball and
keeps you in shape? Then look no further than the wonderful world
of basketball officiating.
Getting into the high school and college levels
of basketball officiating is very time consuming and not an easy process.
Many tests must be taken and many clinics must be attended to become a
certified basketball official. Only those that are really serious
about officiating decide to partake in this.
But what is available for individuals that
just want to officiate for fun? There are many other opportunities out
there that gives you the chance to ref. YMCA, intramural programs,
and other youth leagues around the country are always looking for those
interested in refereeing. These jobs do not require certification
and are simply interested in finding individuals whom are looking for that
extra money and interested in staying in shape all the while helping out
the community.
Refereeing is not an easy job at all. It is
a job that takes a lot of patience and a lot of criticism, but it is a
very fulfilling experience. With all that in mind, hopefully
you will feel comfortable about volunteering somewhere to get some experience
in the field of refereeing after learning the basics.
I feel that everyone should have the opportunity
to learn the basics of officiating basketball. Hopefully that you
can learn the basics from the information that follows.
Mechanics
While there are many different hand signals and
general rules a referee must be aware of, the most important thing to understand
is the ethical part. Officials shall master both the rules of the games
and mechanics necessary to enforce the rules, and shall exercise authority
in an impartial, firm and controlled manner (OHSAA 18). This may
sound like common sense, but it is very important to keep your professionalism
and keep in good grace with the players, fans, and coaches. If you
are not respected then an officiating experience could very well turn into
a nightmare.
Rules are easily understood for any basketball fan.
Therefore we will concentrate mostly on mechanics and the basics that an
average basketball fan may not be aware of.
Two official mechanics will be used most of the
time in the lower levels of basketball. In two person mechanics there needs
to be a lead official and a trail official. The lead official is always
on the baseline of the basket that is being shot at. The correct
positioning is to be wide on the baseline, about 10 feet from the paint,
so that as much of the court as possible can be in the visual field. The
lead official concentrates on post play and ball movement from the foul
line and below.
The trail official is on the opposite side of the court and is positioned
outside of the three-point line. The trail official needs to be able
to move around as needed to ensure that he can see everything. The
trail official needs to concentrate his attention on perimeter play.
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Fouls
Every time an official blows the whistle, his or
her right hand needs to go straight in the air. A closed fist at
the top of the hand indicates a foul while an open hand indicates a violation.
This seems awful simple but it is very important to not confuse the two.
A foul is when a player is involved in illegal contact with an opponent,
which hinders an opponent from performing normal defensive and offensive
movements (NFHS 30).
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Each time a foul is called officials must switch
places on the floor. For example if you were the lead official you must
switch places and become the trail official. This is done so that an official
won’t always be under the same basket. It is only fair to each competing
team that one ref doesn’t stay in the same position all game.
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Violations
A violation is called immediately with a whistle
and an open hand straight up into the air.
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Violations are also characterized by the use of proper hand signals.
The official doesn't have to say anythign when reporting a violation.
He must simply put is hand straight into the air and then make the correct
hand signal that corresponds with the proper violation.
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Personal Officiating Exerperience
I have now been a certified referee for two years.
I enjoy every minute of it and I take each game that I do as a challenge.
It is very important to go into each game that you ref as the most important
one you have ever done. You have to be mentally and physically prepared
each time you step on the floor. The players and coaches expect the
official to take the game seriously and to be prepared. If you approach
officiating with an open attitude and mind, then you will have a lot of
fun.
I currently officiate for the Ohio High School Athletic
Association and the intramural ranks at Ohio University. I took a
class at Ohio University to get certified. It was a very hard process
and that is why I feel volunteering at some lower levels first to get experience
is very beneficial. Volunteering allows you to be sure if refereeing is
something you really want to do before you pay for the certification.
For questions please contact me by email at sg113598@oak.cats.ohiou.edu.
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1. Ohio High School Athletic Association. 2000 Handbook for Officials.
Columbus,
Ohio: NFHS Publication,
2000.
2. National Federation of State High School Associations. Rules
Book 2000-2001.
Indianapolis: NFHS Publication,
2000.
3. Yeah.“Basketball Hand Signal.” Yeah! Basketball: Officiating and
Rules. 17 Feb.
2001. <http://206.83.176.169/handsig/bkths.htm>
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