There is more to know than just foul or violation. Commonly astute officials might have heard once to have an awareness to what type of offense and defense each team is using. All of which is good, but officials can go deeper with more knowledge about the game and how it changes every few minutes. Two of those deeper understandings are picking up on the personality of each game and the substitution patterns. Knowing each separates the good from the great. Game Personality Awareness We know that individual games have their own personalities. There are conference rivalries, non-conference rivalr ..read more

The first thing most of us do in the morning is look at our alarm clock, watch or phone. When we look at our phone, we usually observe the time. When we get in our cars, we observe the car clock. When we are in a boring social situation, we tend to look at our watch or phone. Clock awareness as a basketball official can make us or burn us. Knowing clock scenarios is an intangible of proper officiating. It’s a sign of awareness and being detailed, which is a plus with players, fans, administrators and coaches. It shows that you care about the game. You have to know when the clock starts and sto ..read more

The ballhandler dribbles up the court and, as the lead official, you are working to find the best possible position along the endline to officiate the play. Some of the basic factors to keep in mind include: the ball location, post players’ locations and active or engaging match-up situations. Suddenly the post player sets an off-ball screen near the three-point line and the defense decides to switch. At this moment the lead official needs to recognize the unusual match-up. A post player is defending a guard and a guard is defending a ..read more

Whenever you work a basketball game, it’s always a good practice to be thinking — but not for too long. Yes, it’s important to keep yourself mentally ahead of the game; to be aware of the situation, alert to the nuances of play and the skill of the players — thinking with them and being prepared. Without this approach you lack presence in the game, stand to make less consistent decisions, and can lose the trust of players and coaches. Problems really start, though, when you go beyond getting into the heads of the contestants and start getting into your own, too. Because I am par ..read more

It’s often said great basketball officiating requires striking the proper balance between art and science. That’s due, in part, to the fact that the rulebooks governing NFHS, NCAAM and NCAAW in some instances provide a perfect blueprint for how an official should operate, and just a few pages one way or the other leave enough room for individual interpretation through which you can drive a semi-truck. Fouls against a ballhandler? It doesn’t get any more cut and dried. Each rule code specifically spells it out: If a defender does X, Y or Z with the hands or arms and makes contact, it’s a foul ..read more

J.D. Collins has heard plenty of colorful descriptions of his work during his time as an oncourt college basketball official and more recently in his role as the NCAA’s national coordinator of men’s basketball officiating. However, he likely never saw the day when he would be compared to a prison warden. He has the unique environment of the 2021 NCAA Tournament to thank for it. With leisure-time options limited for the 58 men’s basketball officials who found themselves confined to an Indianapolis bubble due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns and restrictions, the NCAA had to get creative to keep its ..read more

“Two shots,” or “Going up!” Terms that are not used often enough. What many hear more often is, “No, on the floor!” Ask yourself what “on the floor” means regarding the rules of continuous motion. You may be surprised to learn that the common practice to use such a phrase, “on the floor,” is not supported by rule. In fact, it contradicts the rules relating to continuous motion. Continuous motion is defined in NFHS rule 4-11 as follows: Art 1: Continuous motion applies to a try or tap for field goals and free throws, but it has no significance unless there is a foul by any defensive player duri ..read more

If you’re not being honest with your partners, you’re lying to yourself, too. All too often, basketball officials attempt to leave the impression that every game they officiate went from jump ball to final horn without a misstep by them or their crew. Simply, that’s not true. At the NBA level — where every whistle is graded — the world’s best basketball officials proudly proclaim a better-than-90 percent accuracy rate. At the NCAA Division I level, accuracy levels aren’t much different. They’re not far behind at the other lower collegiate levels, and accuracy levels remain high at the scholast ..read more

W hen thinking about the mechanics you use as a basketball official, where do you put the bulk of your study and practice? Proper location and rotation as the lead in a three-person crew? Whether or not to long switch on fouls in the frontcourt? Knowing who is responsible for the clock at the end of a period, quarter or half? These are all important mechanics questions that should be studied individually away from the floor and discussed collectively as crews during a pregame, as proper adherence is going to allow all members of the crew to perform to the best of their abilities. One area I ha ..read more

The athletic spin move is often one that players, coaches and fans love to see during a game and also one that makes officials somewhat dizzy. Do you call traveling for the pivot foot touching the floor twice or let it go because most everyone in the gym won’t say a word anyway and only applaud the effort? If you do call it, be ready to explain why and which pivot foot touched the floor twice. It’s a conundrum that officials often face, especially at the higher levels. A spin move is often used by perimeter players to create separation en route to the basket. Here’s an easy way to identify if ..read more