How to Umpire Basketball
Officiating a basketball game can be difficult for beginners. Before starting out as an official, you must have a thorough understanding of the rules of the game. This includes knowing the various types of offensive and defensive fouls and their relevant hand signals. A referee must also be aware of rules regarding substitutions, timeouts and other procedural parts of the game. Finally, a prospective referee must have knowledge of basketball strategy to properly and accurately officiate a game.
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Instructions
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Before taking the court, all referees must read all rulebooks and other publications relevant to calling the game. Refs should also watch basketball games on television or in person prior to officiating their first game. During this observation, try to take note of what each official is doing during game play.
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There are two types of personal fouls officials must watch for: offensive fouls and defensive fouls. Common offensive fouls include charging (an offensive player holding the ball knocks down a defender) and moving screens (an offensive player away from the ball knocks down a defender). Common defensive fouls include reach-ins (a defender hits a ball-handler in an attempt to knock the ball away), and shooting fouls (a defensive player illegally contacts a shooter during the act of shooting). A player heads to the free throw line for all shooting fouls. If the basket is made, he gets a single shot; if the basket is missed, he gets two shots. If fouled in the act of shooting a three-point attempt, the shooter gets three shots.
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Other important fouls to be aware of include technical fouls and flagrant fouls. An official awards a technical foul to a player who acts in an unsportsmanlike manner that is unrelated to game play. This includes arguing with an official, a penalty that can also be assessed to a coach. In most leagues, two technical fouls results in an ejection from the game. A flagrant foul is called on a player if he intentionally fouls with an intent to harm. It is the judgment of the official whether to call a foul flagrant or a simple personal foul. With these fouls, the opposing team receives one or two free throws as well as possession of the ball.
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Referees must also be aware of procedural rules. These rules pertain to timeouts, technical fouls and substitutions. These rules will vary greatly by league and level of play. It is best for an official to consult the official rules of her league in this matter.
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New officials must learn the various hand signals for fouls and other violations. These signals are uniform across all levels of play, from youth to professional basketball. These signals will be printed in any literature about officiating, or can be accessed by the References listed with this article.
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Being a good referee starts with knowing your place on the crew. A two-person officiating crew is standard for all basketball games at lower levels of competition. These two officials are called the "lead official" and the "trail official." The lead official stays ahead of the ball. This official runs down court in front of the play as the ball is brought up the court. The trail official will stay behind the play.
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You need to know the expected role of your position, whether it be lead or trail. The primary role of the lead official is watching the players under the hoop on the offensive end of the floor. She should watch all screens and plays away from the ball. It is her responsibility to call offensive fouls on the ball or away from the ball. On a shot, the lead official should pay attention to the players rebounding and look for "over-the-back" violations. The trail official watches the action around the ball and in the area of the three-point arc. This official must watch the movement of the basketball. This official must make calls such as traveling violations and reach-in fouls.
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Lead and trail officials switch roles after fouls and at the end of quarters and halves.
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To be an effective official, you must also know something about the strategy of basketball. For example, a team might intentionally foul a poor free-throw shooter. This will result in a judgment call on the part of the official, as this foul could be called either a simple personal or a flagrant intentional foul.
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Tips & Warnings
Read all literature available from your league for league-specific rules and practices. Be aware of everything happening on the court, from the score to the body language and playing style of the players.
