Rules Corner

NOTES FROM OUR JANUARY 8, 2012 MEETING:

We have had several incidents involving the Post-Game Handshake Protocol this season, so I think it's worthwhile to review the responsibilities of the schools and officials.

I. Site Management Responsibilities

A. Greet officials and discuss handshake arrangements
B. Make a public announcement, stating that the ceremony will take place at the game’s conclusion and instructing spectators to stay off the court. The MIAA recommends the announcement to be made between 3rd and 4th quarters and during any “late 4th quarter time-outs”. (Note that exceptions are made for venues that do not have a Public Address system available. If starters announced at the beginning of your game, this requirement would apply.)
C. Be at a designated location after the game to assist officials leaving the court
D. This person is NOT a member of the coaching staff.
E. If any of the previous things do not occur, you are not expected to stay for the ceremony.
F. You are not required to fill out the Sportsmanship Handshake Report Form (per PGHS Cancellation – Scenario #2)

II. Officials' Responsibilities During the Handshake

A. Observe the handshake line.
B. If unsporting activity is observed, you are to assess a Technical Foul; but you are not allowed to administer any penalties. The technical foul is simply reported to the MIAA on the Sportsmanship Form.
C. The officials MAY, if they wish, shake the players' hands. You are never REQUIRED to participate.

III. “Concerns which arise during the game involving the contest participants and/or spectators”

A. If you have such concerns, you may leave the court immediately following the final horn.
B. You are required to fill out the Sportsmanship Handshake Report Form.
C. If you’re uncomfortable FOR ANY REASON, you are allowed to leave the court and fill out the report form.
D. If possible, notify the site administrator that you will not be observing the handshake before the end of the game.

IV. Reasons for “concern”, according to the MSBOA (our State Board of Officials)

A. Any unsporting or flagrant foul during the game
B. A serious injury occurs at any time during the officials’ jurisdiction
C. Any unsporting activity directed at officials by spectators. (This does not mean booing. This means threats or a confrontation.)

V. Finally, if you have an incident, either with a fan or with a site administrator, please let your Executive Committee know immediately.

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Shot Clock Rules and Situations

Issues at the Game Site:

I. If only one shot clock is operational:

A. We play the game with that shot clock.
B. Inform both coaches before start of game about the situation.
C. Tell them it is up to them if they want to count down the final seconds for their team.

II. If neither shot clock is operational:

A. An alternate timing device MUST be used at the table. This will usually be a stopwatch.
B. Have the timer announce remaining time at intervals and the last five seconds.
C. Challenging for us! No way to know if it was reset correctly. You will have to ask for the remaining time before each throw-in, etc.

III. If game management is unable to find an alternative timing device:

A. We will still play the game!
B. Make sure you report the issue to Bill L’Hereux and MIAA.

Shot Clock Rules:

I. Shot clock stops and is reset:

A. On any change of possession (this includes a successful try)
B. When a held ball occurs (exceptions to follow)
C. When a try strikes the ring or flange and then possession is gained by either team
D. When a violation occurs (exceptions to follow)
E. When the ball is intentionally kicked
F. When an inadvertent whistle occurs with no team control (or ensuing throw-in)
G. When a double foul or simultaneous foul occurs with no team control (or ensuing throw-in)
H. When a single personal foul or single technical foul occurs

II. Shot clock stops without a reset:

A. When the ball is deflected out of bounds by a defensive player
B. When a player is injured
C. When a held ball occurs and the arrow favors the offensive team
D. After any double foul or simultaneous foul, while there is team control
E. After an inadvertent whistle when there is team control

III. After the shot clock has been stopped, it starts:

A. During a throw-in, when the ball is legally touched inbounds, by either the offense or the defense.
B. During a jump ball, when the ball is controlled (not merely touched) by a player.
C. After an unsuccessful try, when the ball is controlled by a player of either team.
D. After a successful try, when the throw-in pass is legally touched inbounds by a player of either team. (NOTE: Make sure the shot clock is not running while the thrower-in still has the ball!)

IV, Shot Clock Situations

A. Shot + horn + ball strikes ring = No violation.
Comment: Shot clock is reset and will start when either team gains control.

B. Shot + horn + ball misses rim + ball is caught by B1 = Shot clock violation.
Comment: Do not allow play to continue. Blow whistle, administer throw-in to Team B with a new shot clock.

C. Shot + horn + inadvertent whistle + ball strikes ring = Blow whistle.
Comment: No violation, but because the ball became dead with no team control, the result is an AP procedure. Team with the arrow receives a throw-in with a new shot clock.

D. Shot by A1 + blocked by B1 + horn + ball lands out of bounds = Shot clock violation.
Comment: Even though B1 touched the ball last before it went out of bounds, the shot clock violation happened first and is penalized. Team B receives a throw-in with a new shot clock.

E. Shot by A1 + blocked by B1 + simultaneously recovered by A2 and B2 + shot clock shows 15 seconds = The result of the play is a held ball with no team control.
Comment: The team with the arrow will receive an AP throw-in. If the arrow favors the defensive team, they receive a new shot clock because of the change in possession. IF THE ARROW FAVORS THE SHOOTING TEAM, THERE IS NO RESET. They will receive only the unexpired time. This is a new rule this year! This ruling also applies if the held ball occurs after an “air ball”.

F. Shot by A1 + blocked by B1 + ball is loose on the floor + horn = Shot clock violation.
Comment: The shot clock continues to run until the ball strikes the ring or Team B gains control.

G. Pass by A1 + deflection by B1 + ball strikes ring = No reset.
Comment: The shot clock resets when the ball strikes the ring during a try. Shot clock continues to run. This is also true if A2 makes the deflection.

H. Shot by A1 + double foul on A2 and B2 + try is unsuccessful = After a double foul, play is resumed at the point of interruption.
Comment: This is an AP situation with no team control. The team with the arrow receives an AP throw-in with a new shot clock.

J. A1 is dribbling inbounds + double foul on A2 and B2 = After a double foul, play is resumed at the point of interruption.
Comment: Since there is team control, the ball is awarded to Team A with at the spot CLOSEST TO WHERE THE BALL WAS with no reset of the shot clock.

V. Officiating the Shot Clock

A. Especially at the sub-Varsity level, you must make sure the shot clock is run properly.
B. Have a pre-game with your shot clock operator.
C. Check the shot clock after every whistle to make sure that it has not been reset incorrectly.
D. After a time-out, make sure that you and your partner are aware of the time remaining on the shot clock.
E. Shot clock is primary responsibility of the Trail official in a 2-whistle game.
1. Lead should be ready to help.
2. If you have a good shot clock operator, use the shot clock as an aid for the 10-second backcourt count.
F. After an air ball or a shot that narrowly misses the ring that is recovered by the offense:
1. Trail must check to make sure that the shot clock is not reset.
2. If it is reset, blow the whistle and have the clock set back to what it should be.
3. If the air ball results in an opportunity for a quick put-back, withhold whistle.
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NOTES FROM OUR DECEMBER 2011 MEETINGS:

DOs and DON’Ts for a successful game

BEFORE THE GAME:

1. Don’t assume that your partner(s) have the same game information that you do.
Do: Call or email your partner(s) 24-48 hours prior to your game together.

2. Don’t force yourself to rush to the game site.
Do: Leave early. Build in time for traffic, weather or construction.

3. Don’t make the AD or coach wonder where you are.
Do: Arrive at the game site 30 min. early for a Fr/JV game or 45-60 min. early for a Varsity game.

AT THE GAME SITE:

1. Don’t think that you’re going to sneak in unnoticed.
Do: Dress appropriately. Office casual is good.

2. Don’t waste the time in the locker room.
Do: Prepare mentally. HAVE A PRE-GAME!!
Do: Prepare physically. Stretch, warm up in the locker room; not on the court.

3. Don’t assume your table crew knows what they’re doing.
Do: Make sure the scorer knows what information you need; give instructions to your shot-clock operator.

DURING THE GAME:

1. Don’t walk when you can run.
Do: HUSTLE!! Run. Work hard. You never know who is watching your game.

2. Don’t draw attention to yourself with exaggerated signals or whistles.
Do: Use the mechanics in your manual. They’re there for a reason. Use them.

3. Don’t say too much to the coaches. Wise-guy comments, ultimatums just get you in trouble.
NEVER try to “big-time” a coach. They don’t care where you worked last night.
Do: Be firm, but respectful. Warn, then penalize. Running dialogue is usually not necessary.

4. Don’t get involved with spectators.
Do: Alert game management to abusive behavior and have them remove the offender.

5. Don’t waste your 10 minutes at halftime.
Do: Discuss tough plays from the first half. Discuss coach/player behavior that you think might need to be addressed. Discuss what you HAVEN’T called.

4. Don’t fall asleep!
Do: Know the foul count, the arrow, time-outs remaining. Always get a shooter.

AFTER THE GAME:

1. Don’t have any conversation until you get back to the locker room.
Do: Remember that your comments can be overheard or misconstrued.

2. Don’t be in a rush to leave.
Do: Have a “post-game” review with your partner.
Do: Stay for the Varsity game.

3. Don’t keep interesting or difficult plays to yourself.
Do: Email me with rule questions or plays that we can talk about at the next meeting.
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Notes from Jan. 23, 2011 meeting:

Whistle Discipline

I. What is it?

Definition: The ability, experience, and courage to know when to BLOW the whistle and when NOT to.

II. How do you get it?

A. Know the Rules like the back of your hand. Do not be Rule-istic, but be realistic in applying them.
B. Get the mechanics down to a reaction so you do not have to think about what to do.
C. Work games that are increasingly more difficult
D. Understand the variations between the Advantage / Disadvantage for the level of play.
E. Ask yourself did you really need that whistle, or could you have let it go. Honest self-evaluation.
F. If you think you are blowing too much, try this:
1. Put the whistle in your pocket. When you see a foul or violation, take it out and blow. If you wear a lanyard, leave it out of your mouth, and put it in when you see a foul or violation.
2. What will this exercise do for you?
a. It will slow down your instantaneous or reactionary whistle
b. Allow the play to continue
c. Let situations resolve themselves
d. Allow you to still blow the whistle, if the contact warrants it. This technique is SEEING THE WHOLE PLAY from start to finish.

III. Other ways to foster Whistle Discipline:

A. Learn to anticipate the “Play” and not the “Call”.
-- Are they running a weave for a jumper? Are they likely to dump it in the post? Is weakside help coming? Did they call a play that they just ran?
B. Get a Mentor that will give you good sound advice on your whistle technique.
C. Use Video, Tapes, and game observations to give you a clear picture of your whistle technique.
D. Learn from those who are demonstrating night in and night out the proper technique.
-- This means STAYING after your game is over. Make the investment of time.

IV. Who has Whistle Discipline?

A. Officials at every level who officiate within their Primary Area of Responsibility.
B. When they blow the whistle, they are correct.
-- Their incorrect rulings are errors of omission, not errors of commission.

V. Some other techniques to develop Whistle Discipline:

A. Referee the time remaining!
1. Try to work the last 2 minutes of the game mistake-free. (There’s not enough time remaining for the players and coaches to adjust to an error.)
2. Next game, try for the last 3 minutes; then continue to work back to the start of the game.
3. Like it or not, games are taped and show up on YouTube. (The punch at Commerce was just on TV again this week.) Referee for the tape!
4. Use your voice instead of the whistle when possible.
5. Try to maintain consistency with your partners. This requires mental effort to remember what has been called previously in the game.
6. Remember that when you blow the whistle, all the focus shifts to you. Ask yourself if you want to stop the game for that particular action.

VI. njury Situations:

A. Injury situations can also require discipline.
B. We spent a lot of time on injury situations last season.
C. Remember that if the injury is not serious, we withhold the whistle and allow the opponents to complete a scoring play.
D. But if the injury is serious, you can blow the play dead immediately. We need to exercise some judgment.

VII. Final Thoughts to Remember:

A. A technical foul should make the game better.
-- We should not be afraid to address coach or player behavior, but if we can make the behavior stop without the technical foul, then why interrupt the game?
B. Ugly is not illegal!
-- A player taking 3 steps while bobbling the ball is NOT a violation. Don’t blow the whistle just because you think something looks funny. Be SURE it’s illegal.
C. You don’t want to blow the whistle in a last-second situation on a play outside your Primary Area of Responsibility unless you are 100% positive AND it’s a game-saver
D. Whistle Discipline means blowing the whistle and continuing to blow the whistle when the game needs it.
E. Recognize a change in the game’s tempo, or players starting to get out of control.
F. Don’t allow a physical team to become rough against a less-physical opponent.
G. Recognize when talking is no longer working and you need to blow the whistle.

VIII. In Summary:

A. Train yourself to hold the whistle a second longer so you can see the play start, develop, and finish.
B. Anticipate the play, but not the call.
C. Move your feet (not just your head) to get in position to get the best angle on the play.
D. When you blow the whistle, BE RIGHT.
E. If you don’t KNOW, don’t BLOW.

DEAD BALL OFFICIATING – Time-outs

I. When can a time-out request be granted?

A. When there is player control, request from a player or head coach OF THAT TEAM may be granted.
B. When the ball is at the disposal of one team, request from player or head coach OF THAT TEAM may be granted.
C. When the ball is dead and the clock is stopped, a request from a player or head coach OF EITHER TEAM may be granted.

II. When can a time-out request NOT be granted?

A. Before the ball becomes live to start the game.
B. During a loose ball, even if there is team control.
C. Consecutive time-outs are not granted after the expiration of playing time in 4th quarter or any extra period.
D. Additional time-out allotted for OT cannot be granted until the ball becomes live for the extra period.

III. After the time-out request has been granted:

A. Now is NOT the time to simply relax and stop officiating. “When the ball is dead, we must be alive!”
B. Watch players as they cross to their benches.
C. Clearly report the time-out to the scorer, indicating the length of the time-out and who requested it.
D. In a close game, use this time to confirm the score and foul counts are correct. Confer with partners about what may happen when play resumes.

IV: Proper Time-Out Positions

A. 60-Second Time-Out Positions (Two-Whistle):

B: 30-Second Time-Out Positions (Two-Whistle):

C: Positions When Ball Will Be Put Back in Play Near a Team Huddle:

D. Time-Out Positions When Followed By Free Throw(s):

E. 60-Second Time-Out Positions (Three-Whistle):

F: 30-Second Time-Out Positions (Three-Whistle):

V. During the Time-Out

A. Don’t fall asleep. Be alive!
B. Observe benches.
C. Make sure any substitutes report before the warning horn.
D. Confirm with your partner how ball will be put back in play. (Make sure you know your shooter BEFORE you grant the time-out!!)
E. Confer with table (re: score, time-outs remaining) if appropriate.
F. Teams may sit during a 60-second time-out.
G. If not seated, make sure they remain in time-out area.
H. Players must remain standing during a 30-second time-out.
I. No on-court entertainment during a 30-second time-out. (Cheerleaders, shooting contests, etc.)

VI. After the Time-Out

A. Get the teams out of the huddle.
B. At 1st horn, go to the huddle get team’s attention verbally or with whistle.
C. At 2nd horn, blow whistle.
D. Place ball on the floor, if appropriate.
E. Check game and shot clocks are correct.
F. Make sure we have exactly 5 players for each team.
G. Get (or give) a visual confirmation that you are ready to resume game.

Jan. 31, 2011

Fellow officials,

Notes from last week's meeting will be up shortly. Until then, a quick reminder about SUBSTITUTIONS.

A player who has been replaced by a substitute must remain out of the game until the next opportunity to substitute after the clock has properly started (NFHS 3-3-4; NCAA 3-4-14).

A player who has just entered the game however, may be removed immediately. There is no requirement for an entering player to stay in the game for any amount of time.

This may be confusing because the NBA rule is exactly the opposite. But once again, I am forced to stress that we must know the rules for the level of game that we are officiating that night. In the high school and college game, a replaced player must "SIT for a tick" of the clock, but the entering player does NOT have to "play for a tick".

DEALING WITH INJURIES DURING PLAY

A. Non-serious injuries

1. Examples: Twisted ankle, cramp, etc.
2. STAY WITH PLAYER!
3. If injured player’s team has the ball, or if injury occurs
during a dead ball, blow whistle immediately.
4. If opponent has the ball, let them attack the basket.
5. As soon as they STOP attacking the basket, blow the whistle.
Do this when:
-- the dribbler pulls up without an immediate pass.
-- the ball is passed AWAY from the basket.
-- a try is released.
6. When play is stopped, check the injured player.
-- If player says s/he is ok, player stays in the game and
the game continues immediately.
-- If player need to be attended, start the replacement
procedure (see below).

B. Serious injuries

1. Examples: Head hitting floor, knee injury, player on ground
under basket.
2. STOP PLAY IMMEDIATELY!! Don’t wait. Player safety is our #1
priority.
3. Allow player to be attended on the court.
4. Once player has been removed from the court and the coach is
back at the bench, then begin the replacement procedure.

C. In either case (serious or non-serious injury), if you
beckon the coach or trainer – or if the coach or trainer
comes on the floor without being beckoned – we MUST use the
replacement procedure.

D. Replacement Procedure

1. Inform injured player’s coach that the player must be
replaced OR the coach may request time-out and the player
may remain in the game as long as s/he is ready to play at
the end of the time-out.
2. Very important: the INJURED PLAYER’S TEAM must request the
time-out in order for that player to remain in the game.
3. The team may use a 60-second or a 30-second time-out, as long as the player is ready to play at the end of the time-out.
4. If coach chooses to replace the injured player instead of using a time-out, instruct the timer to begin the 20-second replacement period, and sound a warning horn with 15 seconds remaining.
5. Allow the substitute and any other substitutes who properly reported into the game.

E. Resume play at the Point of Interruption.

1. If there was team control when you stopped play, then that team gets a throw-in at a designated spot closest to where the ball was. The shot clock is not reset.
2. If a try had been released when you stopped play, then there was no team control. So:
-- if the try was successful, resume with a throw-in anywhere along the endline for the team that did not score the basket.
-- if the try was not successful, resume with an alternating possession throw-in for the team that has the arrow. Reset the shot clock, even if the offense retains possession.
3. If a basket had been scored immediately prior to the injury, resume with a throw-in anywhere along the endline for the team that did not score the basket.
4. If you stopped play when free throws were going to be attempted, then resume with the free throws.
-- If the injured player was supposed to shoot the free throws, then the injured player’s substitute shoots the free throws.
-- Remember that the injured player’s coach chooses the substitute to attempt the free throws.

F. REMEMBER: you can stop play any time you believe there is a serious injury. Don’t allow a player to hold his knee in agony because you are worried about stopping a fast break. If you judge that it may be serious, stop play immediately.