Interpreters’ Mid-Season Memo

Scorer & Timer Instructions…Referee, be professional and thorough with instructions to the scorer and timer. Be sure to designate each as the official scorer and timer and leave them with the impression/understanding that they are part of the officiating crew. Review the substitution procedure with them thoroughly.

Substitutes/Substitution Procedure…Situations where the official administering a throw-in has checked/looked to the scorer and timer’s table, has had eye contact with partner(s) and is ready to cause the ball to become live – it is too late to accept substitutes. The game, by rule, can not be delayed to admit a substitute who is in route to the table or whose coach is hollering “sub, sub.” Ignore such situations and place the ball in play. Do not delay the game! There are two teams and the situation matters to both. The substitute did not meet the rule. The opposition may not want the substitute in the game. The official is not being a “good guy.” Instead, the official is positively affecting the illegal team and negatively affecting the opposition. Simply enforce the rule.

Communicating With Head Coach And Player(s)… When the ball is live, do not be distracted by coaches or players. Do not talk or respond in any other form/manner. All attention/concentration must be devoted to the play on the court when the ball is live.

Closely Guarded…Don’t be lax/slow in reacting to a closely guarded situation. The defense is expecting the rule to be enforced. Six feet is a substantial distance. Know what six feet is. If you don’t know what six feet is, how do you know when it is not six feet? Begin the five second count. There is no intense or specific defensive stance required of the defensive player.

Time-Out…*Head Coaches and players only make a Request for a time-out. Officials Grant the time-out. Upon seeing/recognizing the source of the request, the official now must Check to see if the request may be granted. * Don’t hurry and/or get excited. * The time-out Request and the Granting is simply another ruling situation in the game. * The “off ball” official, very often near the head coach, must be composed/careful/cautious about granting the time-out request. First and foremost Player Control must exist in order to grant the time-out. * The ball being pinned to the floor by one or two hands is not player control. * The time-out, as does every other situation, matters to and affects both teams. *Summary, to react to a request by sounding the whistle and carelessly granting a time-out, when there is no player control, bails out one team is very unfair to the other team.

Traveling…*Jump stop, be aware of the very athletically fluid one step then second step landing – it is illegal. It is a major advantage to the offensive player. That is exactly why she/he does so. * Be composed in the situation where the moving dribbler ends the dribble, obtains a pivot foot then steps with the non-pivot foot followed by lifting the pivot foot and reaches out with that foot and passes prior to the pivot foot re-touching the floor – legal movement. * Reminder, the pivot foot may be lifted to pass or try for goal.

At The Site Of The Foul…After sounding the whistle and stopping the clock/indicating a foul with the arm extended and a closed fist, remain at the site and complete all required at the site information (read the manual, pages 53 & 141). Don’t run away. Don’t walk & talk.

At the Reporting Area…Hustle to the reporting area. Stop. Complete all required at the reporting area information (read the manual, pages 52, 53,55 & 141 & 142). Hustle to the free throw or throw-in coverage position.

Play Near A Boundary Line…When there is congestion/defensive pressure (more than one player and the ball) near a boundary line, be careful not to be so concerned with the boundary line and the ball that you “tuck your chin/lower your chin” downward to the extent that you limit your FOV cone. Doing so, limits ones ability to view the whole play – the other player(s). Often a ruling of traveling or out-of-bounds is made. When in fact, an opposing player has bumped the player who has the ball causing what you view as a violation. Proper coverage matters, there is a possession at stake.

Held Ball? Foul?...A player has ended her/his dribble or is trapped. The offensive player’s ability is restricted by only being able to pivot. A defender(s) pursues the ball.

While the offensive player is pivoting and/or moving her/his arms to get freedom or avoid a held ball, it is extremely difficult for a defender to get to the ball without contacting (hacking, bumping, etc.) the offensive player. It is very difficult to create a held ball without fouling in such a situation. Why are there so many held ball rulings? Think about it!!

Three-Seconds…Be a good three-second official. The free throw lane’s proximity to the basket and the high percentage rate of scoring from that area makes the coverage and attention vital to fair play. The lead official ball watching, beyond her/his PCA and neglecting the free throw lane coverage is unfair to the defensive player and team. The Trail and Center official must provide free throw lane coverage when the ball is not in their PCA, by expanding their FOV cone.

Continuous Motion…It is a rule given right of an offensive player, with the ball, to try for goal anytime, anyhow, and anyplace on the court, provided he/she does so legally. The player needs only to have ‘merely’ begun foot, body, arm movement, etc. which  habitually are associated with trying for a goal. The ‘shooter’ or a teammate being fouled does not cause the ball/play to become dead. The official’s sounding of the whistle and stopping the clock simply stops the clock and indicates a foul. The ball remains ‘live.’

A foul committed by a teammate of the ‘shooter’, prior to the try being released. Does cause the ball to become dead and therefore the try ends. THE ‘Shooter’s’ FOOT/FEET BEING IN TOUCH WITH THE FLOOR WHEN THE FOUL BY THE DEFENSE OCCURS HAS NO BARING ON THE RULE. Officials must be careful to not penalize a player who is simply carrying out her/his rule given right to try for goal. The player has that right whether sitting on the floor, standing on the floor or while airborne. If the try has simply ‘merely’ begun and there is a foul by the defense, the culprit is the defender – don’t penalize the wrong player. There is no place in basketball for the comment “on the floor” or the non-signal of pointing to the floor. It is gross misinformation and has caused much harm in recent years. 

Contact…Freedom of movement is rule assured provided the player arrives at any spot on the court first and does so legally. The understanding of the rule is vital and applies equally to defense and offense. Concerns are -- *Bumping, holding cutters – illegally preventing legal movement. * Offensive player driving to the basket area and bumping, warding off a defender – too often the offensive player is “bailed out” by the official ruling a foul on the defender. * Verticality - the offensive player when too far under the basket, even beyond the plane of the backboard, or otherwise near the basket jumps into the defender who is playing legal as per verticality. Too often the defender is unfairly penalized while the guilty party is awarded a goal and a free throw. Verticality, as per all rules, applies to both defense and offense. Questions are, in each of the situations, – Who caused the contact? What did the defender do wrong? 

Contact Following The Release Of A Try For Goal…Whether it is a two or three point try, after the ball is released, if the ‘shooter’ is in touch with the floor or has returned to the floor and the ‘ex-shooter’ is fouled – it is a common personal foul whether the try is successful or unsuccessful. The penalty is, the awarding of the ball for a throw-in, awarding a one and one or two free throws depending upon prior to or after the bonus is in effect.  The penalty is not one, two, or three free throw as per ‘act of shooting.’

Crew Of Two…When the throw-in is located on the Lead official side of the basketline and below the free throw line extended, be a thinking person’s official. Don’t automatically administer the throw-in as the Lead. Size up the situation, if there is defensive pressure the coverage may be improved by the Lead moving to the Trail position to administer the throw-in and the Trail becoming the Lead.

Trail & Center Official(s)…Be active, especially when the ball is not within your PCA. Read the situation adjust your coverage positioning and your FOV cone. There are thoroughly arrived at guidelines within the manual, however, there are no magic spots cast in granite. In transition, don’t retreat prior to reading the situation at hand. Additionally in transition, especially when there is defensive backcourt pressure, the Center official’s PCA is free throw line to free throw line. The Center official’s FOV best covers across the court contact situations as all too often the Trail and Lead FOV is very much hindered (straight lined).

Multi Level Officials…Reminder to officials who officiate at the high school and college levels – Honor each level. Bring the appropriate ‘package’ to the game site. Bring the appropriate rules code, mechanics, signals and overall mentality as expected by the involved level. Doing anything short of complying affects the coaches, players, partner(s) and very possibly the end result of the games.

PCAs…Work at mastering the PCA technique. The concept/technique is the coverage master plan for a crew. Implement the FOV cone coverage. Be aware, widen, expand, lengthen your FVO cone depending upon whether the ball is within your PCA or not. It is vital to have a vivid mental impression of PCAs and FOV cones.