My Thoughts on Refs and Rules

Officiating a basketball game is not an easy task. This is a potpourri of thoughts directed at the IHSA, rule makers, refs, fans, and coaches that I think might help the game. 

Pay Refs More- America operates on a supply and demand principle. Ads are run over and over about the shortage of refs. I am not saying that more pay will solve the problem but it certainly would not hurt the problem. Whatever the pay is, it should be doubled. 

Incentivize Young People Going into Officiating- Every IHSA school should be a fee to the IHSA based on a per capita amount. That money would be put in a pull as an incentive to get refs started. Put a committee of refs and administrators together to come up with how best to use the money:

** Paying for a refs equipment and licensing costs if they work a certain number of games their first season.

** Paying older officials a bonus to work lower level games if they work with an official in the first or second year. 

** Giving bonuses to older refs after they work so many games for so many years. 

I am sure refs would have many great ideas to get younger refs to start up. 

Do Something About It- Refs, coaches, players, and other fans are tired of listening to those 2-3 crazy fans at games. Either the refs or the administrators need to eject these fans. And if a fan is ejected, they can’t attend the next 5 games, or maybe say they are done for the year. 

Let’s Get Together- Yes, we have internet but it would be positive for coaches and refs to have on site meetings about the rules as we used to. It was a great way for refs and coaches to hear concerns that each had. It was a great way to ask questions and get clarifications. It was a great way for coaches and/or refs to then go out for a burger and beer- and talk. Those conversations helped make the sport more civil.

What Is A Charge?- I realize that the block/charge is a really tough call to make, but let’s try harder to clean it up. There needs to a group of refs and coaches to discuss it. My point- try to get everyone on the same page. 

My first recommendation is put the charge circle on high school court. A help defender cannot draw a charge in that area. That eliminates help defenders under cutting. High school refs won’t have replay to help- if there is any doubt whether they are in the arc or not- call a block. 

If a player is not in position when a player takes off to shoot, it is automatically a block. That is a tough one to judge. If you are not sure- it’s a block. Any doubt, it is a block. 

When a defender flops, the ref cannot just motion for the defender to get up. If a ref judges it is not a charge, then the ref needs to call a defensive block. If a defender either goes down- a call MUST be made, no play on. 

It’s Automatic, It’s A Foul- The rule makers and/or the IHSA, refs, and coaches need to establish certain things that are automatic fouls. This will help develop more consistency. My two automatic calls:

Placing a hand on a player on the perimeter with the ball is a foul. No saying,”I don’t think their hand is effecting the dribbler.” If they have one or two hands on the player- it’s a foul. 

Phog Allen Rule- It is believed Phog Allen introduced the screen to basketball. If an offensive player has established position as a screener, if a defender dislodges or makes the screener move- it is a foul. Let’s bring screening and cutting back to basketball. 

It’s Automatic, It’s a Tech- Establish certain things are technicals in both girls and boys high school basketball. 

** Any use of profanity by the coach directed at a ref is a T. (That call is bull&%@t.)

** A coach leaving the coaching box to yell at ref- its a T.

** A coach leaving the box to go toward half-court to coach- its a T.

** If a coach tells the ref what the foul totals are- it’s a T. 

** If a player in anyway appeals to the crowd after being called for a foul- it’s a technical. 

My point is make it clear ahead of time that certain things are automatic- figure out what you want those things to be. 

Leaving the Box to Coach is an Advantage- A pet peeve of mine is when a coach leaves the boxes and goes to half-court to talk or yell to their players. The refs will say, “They are just coaching it is ok.” No, it is not ok, if a coach honors the box then they are at a disadvantage. 

What Role Are the Refs Playing- Refs need to realize there are three teams on the floor- home team, away team, and ref team. If you go in at half-time of a girls game and the score is 17-15, or boys game is 24-21- don’t sit down and talk about how bad offensively the teams are. Most of the time a game is low scoring it has as much to do with how the refs are calling the game as it does about the players. Don’t let “bully-ball” become an effective strategy.

Refs Inconsistency- I would love if on game boxscores if they would list each ref and how many fouls each of them called. I am not saying they should be equal but refs should be on the same page. If in a three man crew, if Ref A calls 12 fouls, Ref B calls 10 fouls, and Ref C calls 3 fouls- there is a problem. 

Let Them Play- I absolutely agree- let the players cut, dribble/drive, shoot without contact- let them play. I absolutely hate when refs decide that “let them play” means the refs can take the night off. 

It’s Not Your Basket- I realize refs have a plan for rotating positions, but if something is not allowing a ref to move from one spot- just move. Coaches and players hate when the same ref seems to be under their basket all night. Refs need to talk about it and force a move of positions. 

Ask For Game Tape- 95% of schools have Hudl film there games. Every ref should be asking to have the game tape sent to them. I realize refs don’t have time to watch every game and every play. A ref could take 15-20 minutes to just watch some of a game. It would not take too much time to look for some calls they remember. 

Maybe a ref comes to the conclusion that a certain coach just whined about every call, or maybe they realize that they are missing a certain call consistently. 

Coach- I am not saying that I followed this when I coached, but I tried. The less time coaches spend talking to refs and the more time coaches spend talking to the their players- the better coaches coach, the better players play, and the better refs ref. 

Parents- Don’t you dare tell your son/daughter the refs were bad when their team loses. Teach your kids to accept responsibility for the outcome. 

Thank You- Every player, every coach, every parent, and every administrator should thank the refs for working their game!! You may not see refs right after a game, but when you run into someone who officiates, thank them for giving kids the opportunity to play basketball.

Remember- The next junior high or high school game that you go to, if you think the refs are bad just wait a minute. The refs doing your junior high and high school games are ten time better than WNBA refs!