Key's to Excellence as a Basketball official in Game.

Appearance and Physical Fitness.

• Wearing proper uniform. Fits Properly.

• Shoes are shined. Non-shine black shoes are clean.

• Groomed and professional.

• Staying with the Pace of the game and keep up with the fast transition plays.

• Demonstrate a calm and positive attitude.

• Showing Confidence throughout the game including tough situations.

Game Management Concepts.

• All Pregame Procedures including addressing uniform and equipment rules and regulations.

• Consistent management of players, subs, and bench throughout the complete game.

• Consistent Dead ball awareness throughout the entire game.

• Handle Volatile and pressure situations. Show leadership during tough situations.

• Consistent game/shot clock awareness throughout the game both live and dead ball.

• Game awareness of disqualified players and handle disqualified player procedure.

• Leadership in handling all aspects of technical foul procedures.

Court Position IQ.

• Consistent mobility and Hustle throughout the game, live, and dead ball situations.

• Consistently position adjustments throughout the game. Consistently moving from straight line to open-angle.

• Consistent and appropriate rotation throughout the game.

• Consistently recognize when partners have rotated throughout the game.

• Consistently in appropriately not watching the ball throughout the game.

• Consistently in proper position during press transition throughout the game.

• Consistently in proper position during transition throughout the game.

Rules and Mechanics

• Demonstrate proper NFHS mechanics throughout the game.

• Proper Procedures for jump balls, throw-ins, time-outs, and free throws throughout the game.

• Consistently enforces proper wear of uniform or equipment throughout the game.

• Make calls in the primary throughout the game. Call only obvious fouls outside primary.

• Observe play from start/develop/finish throughout the game.

• Consistent calls addressing freedom of movement and displacement throughout the game.

• Applies legal guarding position throughout the game.

• Applies legal/illegal screens correctly throughout the game.

• Consistent application of verticality principles throughout the game

• Recognizing non-basketball plays on the court. Able to recognize and diffuse potential non-basketball plays throughout the game. Correct calls on physical plays vs rough play throughout the game.

• Consistent awareness of what partners are calling/not calling. Make adjustments. Able to get crew on the same page

• Appropriate double whistle throughout game. Recognizes when partner has whistle too. Allow appropriate official to take the call.

• Consistent verbal/non-verbal/eye contact throughout game. Always aware of what partners are doing. Be cohesive with partners with communication.

• Strong whistle and voice throughout game.

• Effective communication with players and coaches throughout the game.

• Effective communication with the table throughout the game.

• Consistent communication throughout the game concerning fouls, violations, out-of-bounds, 3 pt try, last-second shot, jump ball, and last-second typical game situations. Partners always know what the called official has called.

• Consistently able to ask or give help to partners. Make consistent crew calls.

Some officiating Key Words.

“A” Look – the Official who has the best look at the play

Ball Side – The side of the court where the ball is located

Bigs – post players.

Call – a foul or violation made by an Official

Call selection – level of consistency between Officials for the game regarding how plays are called and how we are judging physical play; call similar plays similarly on both ends of the court from the start of the game to the end of the game, officials should be like-minded

Center Official (C or Slot) – Official positioned near the side‐line, from the free‐throw line extended, on the opposite side of the court as the Trail and Lead.

Checklist – small patterns or lists of items Officials regularly follow to ensure proper application of rules, manage the game, and avoid errors.

Close Down – The position of the Lead Official on the endline that is a one step outside the lane line extended and one to two steps off the endline.

Competitive Matchup – opponents who are working/competing against each other as opposed to opponents who are six or more feet apart (If multiples, can be ranked, i.e., “1st matchup, 2nd matchup.)

Correct Call – a foul or violation called by an Official which is correct because of rule application, possession consequence, or game management.

Crew Call – a call made outside an Officials primary because it is an Oh My Gosh play that needs a whistle and the primary Official does not have a call. A crew call has a secondary cadence whistle.

Double Whistle – a situation when two Officials may blow their whistles at about the same time on a foul or violation.

Fifty‐Fifty Call – a call (violation or foul) made on play which could be called against either team. If possible, what has previously occurred in the game should be taken into consideration on a Fifty-Fifty play.

Flow – how the game moves up and down the floor during live ball; the pulse or tempo of the game can be affected by our game management and whistle tempos.

Game Management – techniques used to control the game, including communication with bench personnel, enforcing timing regulations, all while encouraging a flow to exist in the game.

Incidental Contact – contact with an opponent that is permitted and does not constitute a foul; contact that does not hinder the opponent from participating in normal defensive or offensive movement, should be permitted even though the contact is severe.

Lead Official (L) – Official positioned on the baseline.

Legal Contact – contact between opponents which does not violate any rules.

Live Ball Communication – verbal or non‐verbal communication between Officials while the ball is in play.

No‐Call – a foul or violation which may have occurred, but is not called due to there being no “possession consequence

No‐Call Incorrect – a call, which is not made, but should have because the play was illegal and is an error by the Official.

Open Angle / Open Look – an Official’s position adjustment that prevents being straight-lined or stacked, thereby creating an open angle/open look to officiate primary/secondary coverage areas.

Opposite Side – the side of the court opposite the table.

Physical Play – a level of play, between opponents, which is of a high tempo, assertive, and during which legal and incidental contact occurs because players are making attempts to play the ball.

Pinch the Paint – position of the Lead Official on the endline that is at the lane-line extended or one to two steps in the lane off the court, one to two steps off the endline.

Play Calling – how Officials judge each play and apply rules from the start, develop, and through the finish of each play.

Points & Possessions – play calling affects a team’s ability to score points or their ability to possess the ball. Anytime we are making calls or ruling, we need to be aware of how we are affecting points & possessions with the game. Points & possessions are what win games.

Position Adjust – movement by an Official to create or maintain an open look or open angles of the action area in their primary coverage area(s) based on player and /or ball movement.

Possession Consequence – using our judgement to assess the effects of contact on a player’s RSBQ and if it affects their possession of the ball. If the contact does not cause a loss of possession, then a no-call is appropriate.

Post‐Game – discussion among the crew (all Officials) regarding the game contract and how it was executed.

Pre‐Game – discussion among the crew (all Officials) regarding the overall management and crew philosophies for the upcoming game: crew communication, rules, mechanics, special situations, etc. Pre‐game is also called a “contract.” Officials on the crew agree to certain philosophies and standards regarding how they will manage and referee the game. This “contract” is what the crew needs to execute during the game.

Pinch the Paint – Lead position that is one to two steps inside the lane line extended that allows the lead to get an angle to provide call of assistance on drives from the C. C has primary coverage. Lead has secondary coverage.

Primary defender – The defensive player for which a position (L, T, C) has primary responsibility to judge while refereeing the defense.

Primary match‐up – The most competitive match‐up, in an official’s primary area, to which the officials’ attention becomes devoted.

Primary Whistle Tempo – a whistle blown by an Official in their primary area (or primary defenders) to signal a foul or violation after the calling Official sees the entire play: start, develop, and finish.

RSBQ – Rhythm, Speed, Balance, and Quickness. This term is used as one criterion for judging contact by opponents

Rotation – crew movement, dictated by the ball/post‐play, which moves the crew to better angles to officiate the play. Lead moves across the key; Trail becomes center; Center becomes trail. This does not happen simultaneously and you should never leave a good look.

Rough Play – illegal contact between opponents which exceeds physical play and incidental contact, does not make an attempt to play the ball, or is directly aimed at one’s opponent.

Defender – a defender which is not an Official’s primary responsibility, but may enter the play from another Official’s primary.

Secondary Whistle Tempo – a whistle blown by a secondary Official to signal a foul or violation after the calling Official has seen the entire play (start, develop, finish) AND recognized the primary Official is unable to make the call (due to lack of information, poor angle, etc.).

Slow to Show – Officials should always be slow to give preliminary signals, ensuring eye contact and communication with their partners. Be especially slow to show your preliminary signals during a double- whistle, as this could lead to Officials simultaneously indicating different signals.

Straight‐Lined or Stacked – a poor position in which an Official cannot see space between players, caused when the Official is out of position and does not have an open look. Players are stacked, or in a straight line, and the Official cannot see between the players to referee the play.

Strong Side – the side of the court determined by the location of the Lead official.

Switch – A dead-ball situation where two officials change positions, usually caused by a violation called or a foul being reported that normally involves the calling official moving to a new position.

Table Side – side of the court where the table (timekeeper, scorekeeper) is located.

Ten & Two – an attempt by Officials to keep all ten players and two partners within their peripheral vision at all times.

To and Through – when a competitor makes contact with an opponent directly in the chest or torso displacing and causing the opponent to be negatively impacted (often used to describe a block/charge).

Trail Official (T) – Official positioned between the side‐line and closest lane‐line extended, near the 28‐foot

mark, opposite the Center and on the same side as the Lead.

Weak Side – the side of the court opposite the Lead Official

Triple Whistle – a situation in which all three Officials blow their whistles on or about the same time on a foul or violation.

Wide-Out/Angle – position of the Lead Official on the endline that is on the strongside two to three steps inside the three-point arc line extended off the court mirroring the ball and one to two steps off the endline