Basketball Pregame

Question 1

Court Coverage

Answer 1

Trail’s Primary Responsibilities (2 person):
Sideline And Division Line
Last Second Shot
Drives Starting In Primary
Bring Subs In
Weak Side Rebound Coverage
Lead’s Primary Responsibilities (2 person):
Endline And Sideline
Post Play
Illegal Screens At Elbows

Stay In Your Primary, It Must Be Obvious To Come Out Of Your Primary

Question 2

Double Whistles

Answer 2

Let’s both hold our preliminary signal and not give a block or player control signal.
Make eye contact with each other.
Give the call to whoever has the primary coverage, unless you definitely have something different that happened first.
Opposite signals: Assess both fouls. Count the basket if the ball was released before the contact. Resume with the Point of Interruption.

Question 3

Pass And Crash

Answer 3

Let’s have the Lead official follow the pass, stay with the ball.
The Trail will be responsible for the crash.

Question 4

Out-Of-Bounds Help

Answer 4

If I have no idea and I look to you for help, just give a directional signal. No need to come to me. Just point.
If I signal but I get it wrong, then blow the whistle and come to me. Tell me what you saw and let me decide if I’m going to change it.

Question 5

Press Coverage

Answer 5

Help each other. New Lead will wait at midcourt.

Question 6

Technical Fouls

Answer 6

If I T a coach, get me away from the coach. The situation is heated and I don’t want to whack the coach back-to-back. Let’s move away from the benches. Non calling official should inform the coach that the coaching box privilege has been lost.
Let’s get together and make sure we administer the penalty or penalties correctly and in the correct order and at the correct basket.
If one official issues a warning to somebody (player or coach), make sure the other official knows. If I’ve already warned the coach, the coach shouldn’t get a free shot at you.

Question 7

Two-Point / Three-Point Shot

Answer 7

If one official incorrectly signals the number of points, the other official will simply blow the whistle immediately, discuss the play with our partner, come to a decision, signal the correct number of points to the table, and resume the game. We will only correct if we are 100% sure.

Question 8

Goaltending And Basket Interference

Answer 8

99% of the time, the Trail will be responsible for the call.
Lead can help out on a quick shot in transition, when Trail hasn’t made it into the frontcourt yet.
Let’s remember that it’s never basket interference or goaltending to slap the backboard. Coaches and fans always want it, but we can’t award the points.

Question 9

Last Shot

Answer 9

99% of the time, the Trail will be responsible for the call.
Let’s both have an opinion, in case Trail’s not sure.
How will we handle a full-court pass when the Trail is stuck in the backcourt?

Question 10

Foul Mechanics

Answer 10

Preliminary signal given at spot of foul for all common fouls.
Calling official must designate throwin spot or number of shots.
Noncalling official, get the shooter. If the ball enters the basket, inform partner that ball went in.

Question 11

Throw Ins

Answer 11

Ten players, eye contact, check table, check clock.

Question 12

Timeout Mechanics

Answer 12

When the ball is dead, we must be alive.
Team calling timeout must have player dribbling or holding the ball.
Both officials must know the game situation when play resumes following a timeout (team, direction, spot or run baseline, shooter, number of shots).
One official at spot of throwin or free throw line with ball facing direction in which it will be put into play.
Other official at division line, quarter for 30 second and three quarters for 60 second.

Question 13

Post Play

Answer 13

Let’s not allow a defender to use a leg or knee to move a player off the block.
Let’s make sure the offensive player isn’t holding off the defender, or holding him with his off-hand.
As Lead, let’s find the post matchup as soon as possible so that we get the first foul.
Remember the RIDD’s. Don’t let players: Redirect, Impede, Displace, or Dislodge.

Question 14

Ball-Handler / Hand-Checking

Answer 14

Two hands on the ball-handler is a foul. Automatic.
One hand that stays on the dribbler is a foul.
Let’s not let a defender ride the dribbler as the ball is coming from backcourt to frontcourt.
Remember SBQ. If the dribbler’s Speed, Balance, or Quickness are affected, we should have a hand-checking, push or block foul.

Question 15

Screens

Answer 15

We must work hard off the ball.
In the first half especially, let’s clean up the screening action. The screening action will be right in front of the defensive coach in the first half, so if the coach sees an illegal screen, we should too.
In the second half, with the defensive coach 60 feet away, let’s be aware of the screening, but we don’t need to focus quite as hard on it. If there’s an obvious call to be made, let’s absolutely make it; but we won’t make it our point of emphasis in the second half.

Question 16

Consistency

Answer 16

Let’s see if we can call the same game. Be consistent with each other.
Let’s try to remember what we’ve called earlier in the game, and what we haven’t called. Be consistent with what has already happened in the game.
If I have a very close block/charge play and I call a blocking foul, then the next time you have a similar block/charge play, you should have a blocking foul.

Question 17

Game Situation Awareness

Answer 17

One of us should quickly check the clock after every whistle to make sure the clock stops properly.
One of us should check the clock every time it should start to make sure it does so.
Let’s try to be aware of the foul count during the game. We don’t want to be surprised when it’s time to shoot the bonus. If we know that the next foul will result in bonus free throws, we’ll be more likely to remember our shooter.

Question 18

Last Two Minutes

Answer 18

We’re not calling anything in the last two minutes if we haven’t already called it earlier in the game, unless it’s so blatant that it can’t be ignored. We don’t want our first illegal screen to be called with 30 seconds left in the game; but if the illegal screen puts a player into the first row of the bleachers, then we have to call it.
Let’s not put the whistles away in the last two minutes: That wouldn’t be consistent with the way we’ve been calling the game. If the game dictates it, let the players win or lose the game at the line. We don’t want to be the ones who decide the game by ignoring obvious fouls just to get the game over.
End of game strategic fouls: If the winning team is just holding the ball and is willing to take the free throws,then let’s call the foul immediately, so the ballhandler doesn’t get hit harder to draw a whistle. Let’s make sure there is a play on the ball by the defense. If there’s no play on the ball, if the defense grabs the jersey from behind, or if the ballhandler receives a bear hug, we should consider an intentional foul. These are not basketball plays and should be penalized as intentional.

Question 19

2012-13 Points of Emphasis

Answer 19

Closely gaurded situation.
Contact above the shoulders (elbows).
Intentional Fouls.
     Excessive contact
     Grabbing or shoving from behind when an easy basket may be scored.
     Grabbing and holding a player from behind or away from the ball.
Enforce illegal contact so it doesn't escalate into fight.
Hand Checking
     Both hands on opposing player
     Jabbing
     Continuous Contact
Post Play
Rebounding

Question 20

COACHES

Answer 20

Acknowledge questions, not statements
Be a responder; not an initiator
Deal with the behavior of an out-of-control coach
Technical foul ramifications
Ignore, acknowledge, warn or penalize

Question 21

COMMUNICATION

Answer 21

Eye contact with partners
Verbally and visually confirm # of free throws
Get the shooter on all partners’ fouls with indicated point
Next foul bonus
Double whistles
Warnings to coaches/players
Before each throw-in
On any unusual plays, get together and discuss. Get it right!

Question 22

GAME EXPECTATIONS

Answer 22

Potential problems
Rivalry/tensions
Key players
Styles of play
Game management concerns

Question 23

ROUGH PLAY

Answer 23

Advantage Disadvantage
Freedom of movement
Patient Whistle
Call the obvious
Don’t bail out the offensive player — verticality
Incidental contact vs. legitimate contact

Question 24

CENTER

Answer 24

Don’t become a second trail
Help with backcourt/press coverage
Primary area of coverage
Basket interference, goaltending
Secondary coverage on breakout situations
Initiate rotation during halfcourt trap