next level basketball

GOALTENDING/BASKET INTERFERENCE

Use the arc of the ball to aid in determining goaltending.

A tool to use is know where the defender is in relation to the shooter and the basket. If the defender is closer to the shooter than to the basket when the ball is touched, it’s likely a no-call because the ball is probably still on its way up. If the defender is closer to the basket than to the shooter when the ball is touched, it’s probably goaltending because the ball is likely on its way down. However, it’s when the ball is at its apex that makes it difficult to judge whether it is going up or down.

Basket interference depends entirely on the location of the ball.

It doesn’t matter how the ball got to that critical location. Throw-ins or attempts at the wrong basket can still result in a basket-interference violation.

It is illegal for a player from either team to touch the ball when it is in the basket, on the rim or in the imaginary cylinder above the rim.

Basket interference can occur even if the ball itself is not touched.

The basket may not be touched if the ball is touching the rim or in the basket. By definition the basket includes the ring, its supports and the net. Please note that if the ball is in the cylinder above the ring, the basket may be touched legally.

HELD BALL SITUATIONS

Loose-ball situations are not “free-for-alls.”

There are too many players leaping on top of the opponent on the floor who has already secured the ball. The player jumping in typically uses his or her body to leverage for the ball, securing an advantage, but eventually tying it up for a held ball. That type of contact is a foul. Officials should look more closely at that play, and rule a foul rather than taking the easy (and wrong) way out by giving a quick held-ball signal.

Get close to the action on shoves, holds and piling on.

Don’t hesitate to call a foul when someone comes flying into the fray. Look for the shove, hold or just plain “piling on.” Establish good leadership with your partners by discussing those potential situations before the game. Then you’ll be ready for the next “kamikaze dive.”

Do not whistle a held ball as quickly as possible.

That is a common mistake; premature calling of a held ball should be avoided. Three key situations come to mind: (a) While A1 is holding the ball, B1 reaches in and merely touches the ball for a moment or two; (b) During a loose-ball situation, several opponents dive after the ball in an attempt to gain control. In the process, there is some incidental contact and it doesn’t look too good; (c) During a field-goal attempt, B1 blocks the ball after it has traveled only a couple of inches from the shooter’s hand and the ball is then caught by the shooter, who returns to the floor. In all of those cases, nothing has occurred to cause a held ball. The main criterion that applies is that opponents did not have their hands so firmly on the ball that control could not be obtained without undue roughness. Moral: Don’t call a held ball just because “it looks bad” or to avoid trouble.During loose-ball plays, watch arms, body and ball.

When two players are going for a ball, chances are there will be some contact. Not all contact is a foul. But just because the ball is loose doesn’t mean players can do whatever they want to each other. The rules for guarding remain the same whether the ball is loose or in the hands of a player.

Arms: When players are going for the ball, arms will fly. Make sure the players aren’t making illegal contact as they are running toward the ball.
Body: When a player feels that an opponent has gained an advantage, his or her tendency is to lean. In the process, the player is often displacing his or her opponent. Be ready for it.
Ball: If a foul is called, the status of the ball is important. Player control? Team control? Know where the ball is in order to properly administer the play.
START, DEVELOP AND FINISH
Give a slight pause before blowing your whistle.
Another asset in the official’s arsenal is a patient whistle. A split-second of reflection provides the opportunity to see the result of the play before ruling on it, and thus determine whether the contact was a foul or incidental.
Know if the foul during a rebound situation has possession consequence implications. If it doesn’t, it may be best to pass. If it does, it is likely a foul.
Before you whistle a foul during a rebounding situation, wait an extra second to be sure the players involved haven’t “cleaned off” each other, in which case you could have a no-call situation. Too often officials have tendencies to react spontaneously to rebounding contact before judging whether it had any real impact on the play.
That can be prevented by allowing the play to fully develop, or by seeing that the contact precluded it from developing, before making a judgment on the contact. It’s a terrible feeling to immediately react to a slight rebounding bump by blowing your whistle, and then a second later seeing that those two players “cleaned off” each other and there’s a foot or more space between them.
To judge whether contact results in a foul, see it in the context of an entire play sequence. Give yourself a tad more time to view the entire play. It will make the difference between making good and not-so-good calls.

USE YOUR INSTINCTS

Be in position to see contact.

You’ve got to be in position at all times to see contact occur. That means you are staring down the middle of the offensive and defensive player, whether it’s onball, in the post or screens in the lane. You have to get the angle. That might mean you have to move somewhat out of your prescribed “area” on the court.

Understand what sort of defense each team is using.

The common defenses are easy to discern, but special approaches, such as a box-and-one, require a different focus. The player detailed to guard a specially targeted opponent may get overzealous away from the ball. Also, situations in which double teams and traps frequently occur require special focus from officials.

Read the offensive team’s strategy.

Where are they setting screens? Who are the preferred shooters? What sort of throw-in plays are being used? Think about what the offense is likely to do and adjust accordingly. That allows you to anticipate correctly and move to get proper angles and spacing. Once the strategy is understood, officials can anticipate the play (not the call) and focus better on observing the competitive match-ups