The Interpreter's Page

Board 11 Interpreter:  Layne Drexel

Mid-Season Reminders from January 13 Meeting

- We reviewed the length of quarters and halftime for high school and middle school games.  If you have a question about this information, please contact Layne Drexel.
- If you call a techical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct... school or league games... report it to Mike Hutchison.  Please do so that day or the very next day.  CC your partner and if you were the partner and don't get a cc within a day, report the techical to Mike.
- Start closely guarded counts as soon as the player becomes closely guarded.  If you start a 5-second closely guarded count, continue the count until the player is no longer closely guarded, even if the player leaves your primary.  If your partner has started a 5-second closely guarded count, remember that he or she will maintain the count, ... you may have to look off-ball, even outside your primary coverage area.  There should never be two officials counting on the same play.
- Headbands, wristbands ... Black, white, beige or the color of the torso of the uniform (not matching shorts or matching ribbing on the jersey).
- T-shirts = matching the color of the torso of the jersey.  No manufacturer's logo is permitted.  May have no sleeves, short sleeves, or long sleeves, but both sleeves must be the same length.  May be different sleeves for each individual player on the same team.
- Leave most of your ego at home.  Players, coaches, fans don't care who is the R, U1, or U2.  They expect a well officiated game.
- NEVER ENGAGE FANS!  Home management or police do that!

December 9 Meeting Information

Board 11 welcomed Ivy League and Northeast Conference Coordinator of Women's Basketball Officials, Dr. Edward Meier, as the guest speaker for our December meeting.  Dr. Meier had a great message about basketball officiating L.I.F.E.  If you would like more information about Dr. Meier's speech, please contact Layne Drexel.

November 11 Meeting Handout
Members worked in small groups to complete this handout and the answers were discussed at the meeting.  If you have any questions, please contact me.


Handouts from 2008-2009 Season
Team Control Foul handout 
Answers to Team Control Foul Questions   
Meeting Notes and Play Situations
Answers to the Play Situations 
Rule 10 Review ...Please click here for that handout with answers.
Mechanics Information and Headband/Wristband Rule Clarification
Crew of 2 Pre-Game
Crew of 3 Pre-Game
CYM Varsity Basketball Rules for 2008-09 Season

"You Make the Call"

Answers should be submitted to laynedrexel@aol.com.  Correct responses will be entered into a drawing held at the General Membership Meeting.  

Answer to Play #6.  Play posted March 5, 2009.
Team A is awarded a throw-in near the division line.  The administering official, by mistake, puts the ball at B1's disposal.  B1 completes the throw-in and Team B subsequently scores a goal.  The officials now recognize the mistake.  What is the correct ruling?
a. This is a correctable error.  Since it was discovered before the second live ball after the clock properly started, cancel the basket and give the ball to Team A near the division line.  Do not change the clock.
b. This is a correctable error.  Since it was discovered before the second live ball after the clock properly started, cancel the basket and give the ball to Team A near the division line.  Change the clock.
c.  No correction can be made for the mistake by the officials after the throw-in ends.  If the officials had discovered it while B1 was making the throw-in, they could have awarded the ball to Team A.
d. Once an official hands the ball to the wrong team, no change can be made.  If the officials discovered it while B1 was making the throw-in, they would have to leave things as they were.
Answer:  C - According to play 7.5.2 Situation A in the 2008-2009 NFHS Case Book, the answer is C.  The ruling there states that "no correction can be made for the mistake by the official after the throw-in ends."  Rule 7.5.2 doesn't seem to specifically address this.  We have made a rules proposal to include some rule reference which supports this interpretation.  Please note that this is not one of the five correctable errors, so that timeframe does not apply.  It is an official's mistake instead.


Answer to Play #5.  Play posted February 15, 2009.
The referee tosses the ball.  Jumper A1 taps the ball.  Then, jumper B1 taps the ball.  Jumper A1 taps the ball again.  Now, jumper B1 catches the ball.  What is the correct call and how is the possession arrow set?
a. Violation on A1 for tapping the ball more than once.  Give the ball to team B and set the arrow towards team B.
b. Violation on A1 for tapping the ball more than once.  Give the ball to team B and set the arrow towards team A.
c. There should be a re-toss with the same two jumpers.  The arrow will be set after that jump.
d.  There should be a re-toss with any two jumpers.  The arrow will be set after that jump.
e. Legal, play continues.  Since B has the ball, set the arrow towards team A.
f. Violation on B1 for catching the ball before it touched the floor or a non-jumper.  Give the ball to team A and set the arrow towards team B.
g. Violation on B1 for catching the ball before it touched the floor or a non-jumper.  Give the ball to team A and set the arrow towards team A.
Answer:  F - A jumper may not catch the ball before it touches the floor, a non-jumper, the official (part of the floor by rule) or a backboard.  This is a violation on B.  Team B is not penalized twice for this though.  In other words, since it is not considered a legal possession, the first possession of the game is to Team A.  The ball is awarded to Team A and the arrow will be set to Team B.

Congratulations to Cynde Bimbi, John Carew, and Vince Begatto, this month's winners for Plays #3 and #4.
Answer to Play #4.  Play posted February 5, 2009. 
Team A is losing by two points with 1.4 seconds on the game clock and A1 shooting one free throw.  A1 throws the ball off the backboard and it brushes the rim on its way off the board.  The center official does not see the brushing of the rim and blows his/her whistle for the ball not touching the rim.  Neither team secures the ball on the rebound and the clock now reads 0.7 seconds.  The officials confer and the trail official informs the center that the ball did hit the rim.  The possession arrow favors Team A.  What should the officials do?
a. Since the center official did not see the ball hit the rim, and he/she blew his whistle for the violation, the call stands.  Award Team B the ball for a designated spot throw-in under Team A's basket.
b. Since the trail official did see the ball hit the rim, rule that this is a correctable error and award A1 a replacement free throw.
c.  Since there is no team control at this point, go to the possession arrow to determine which team will receive the ball.  Award A1 the ball for a designated spot throw-in under A's basket.  Given that the whistle should have indicated to the timer not to start the clock, put 1.4 seconds back on the game clock. 
d.  Since there is no team control at this point, go to the possession arrow to determine which team will receive the ball.  Award A1 the ball for a designated spot throw-in under A's basket.  Leave 0.7 seconds on the clock. 
Thanks to Bob Mull for sharing this play from a recent game.
Answer:  C - Since there is no team control at this point, go to the possession arrow to determine which team will receive the ball.  Award A1 the ball for a designated spot throw-in under A's basket.  Given that the whistle should have indicated to the timer not to start the clock, put 1.4 seconds back on the game clock.

Answer to Play #3.  Play posted January 15, 2009.  
Thrower-in A1 is out of bounds for a sideline throw-in.  A1 has plenty of space behind him/her, but chooses to step up close to the sideline.  Defender B1 is standing inbounds, also close to the sideline.  A1 places the ball through the plane of the sideline and touches, or touches and holds the ball against (without fouling) B1 who is legally inbounds.   What is the ruling?
a. A1 has committed a throw-in violation because he/she caused the ball to touch something inbounds before releasing the ball on the throw-in.
b. Though the contact was not enough to call a foul on A1, A1 is charged with a technical foul by rule for causing the ball to touch a player inbounds during a throw-in.
c. B1 is charged with a delay of game warning for not getting out of the way.
d. A1 is charged with a delay of game warning for reaching the ball through the plane without releasing it on a throw-in.
e.  Play should continue until someone grabs or slaps the ball out of A1's hands, or a five second throw-in violation has occurred. 
Thanks to Tim Regenauer for sharing this play from a recent game.
Answer:  E - Play should continue until someone grabs or slaps the ball out of A1's hands, B grabs the ball and forces a held ball, or a five second violation occurs.  It would be a violation if thrower-in A1 hands the ball to his/her teammate, but it is not a violation for touching a player of the opposing team.  It is possible to have a foul on A if you deem the contact to be enough for a foul.  (Remember, this is not a player control foul!)  There is no delay of game warning on A because it is not illegal for him/her to reach through the boundary plane.  B has not done anything to warrant a delay warning either since he/she did not reach through the boundary plane. 

Answer to Play #2.  Play posted December 11, 2008. 
Congratulations to David Dill, this month's winner.
When the ball is at the disposal of free thrower A1 for the second of two free
throws, a technical foul is charged to team A's bench.  What is the result?
a. Administer the free throws the technical foul before A1's remaining free throw.
b. Administer A1's remaining free throw before the technical foul free throws.
c. The lane spaces shall be empty for A1's remaining free throw attempt.
d. The lane spaces shall be occupied and play resumes with the make or miss of
A1's remaining free throw.
e.  Play is resumed after the free throws with a throw-in to team B at the division line. 
f. Play is resumed after the free throws with a throw-in to team B on the endline.
g.  A and D
h.  B, C, and E
i.  B, C, and F
Answer:  H - National Federation rules stipulate the fouls should be penalized in the order in which they occurred.  The proper sequence for administering the penalties in this situation would be as follows:  A1 would shoot his/her second free throw with no players on the lane spaces.  Any Team B player would then shoot two technical free throws at his/her basket with no players on the lane spaces.  The ball would then be awarded to Team B for a throw-in at the division line. 

Answer to the first "You Make the Call."  Play posted December 5, 2008
Congratulations to Larry Buonocore, December's winner.
A1 is making a throw-in along the sideline in team A’s backcourt. A1 makes the throw-in to A2 who is standing in team A’s frontcourt. A2 muffs the pass, and it bounces directly into team A’s backcourt where it is first touched and recovered by A3. What is the result?

a. Backcourt violation because team A had team control while making the
throw-in and A2 caused the ball to enter the backcourt resulting in the violation.
b. Backcourt violation... There was no team control during the throw-in, but it is a
violation because A2 touched the ball in team A’s frontcourt, and A3 was the
first player to touch the ball in the backcourt.
c. Legal play because team A did not have team control in the frontcourt.
Answer:  C - There is no team control on a throw-in.  When A2 muffed the pass,
he/she did not have team control.  No control was established until A3
recovered the ball in the backcourt.  Since there was no control in the
frontcourt first, it is not a backcourt violation.


Seeking Rules Questions and Play Situations
If you encounter any rules questions, play situations, or any other items of
interest that you think would be beneficial to share with the entire board, please
e-mail them to me and I will post them on this site.  This can be anonymous or
credited...your pick!  The most important thing is that we share the information
so we all can learn.

Send information to:  laynedrexel@aol.com