RCBA Refereeing Points of Emphasis – 2015-16 Basketball Season
Division:
Points of Emphasis:
Grade 3-4
i) Whistle must be blown
ii) Cannot ‘freeze’ on a
call
iii) Positioning on
Baseline & Trail
iv) Grade 3-4
Differentiated Rules
v) Confidence
vi) Game Management
“Must Calls!” for Every
Game!
i) Travel;
ii) Double Dribble
iii) Reach Fouls/Contact
Fouls
iv) Three (3) seconds in the
key; (Later in the season
– after Christmas)
Floor Positioning:
Comments:
Be in Position!
Important to have the officials
in their proper baseline and
trail positions throughout the
game. They should be on the
baseline and in the trail
position, and not involved in
the middle of the floor or off
the baseline.
Refereeing the Game in accordance to
the players or the type of game is
important. More aggressive play needs
to be called tighter - more calls are
necessary!
Officials need to ensure that they ‘blow
their whistle’ and react appropriately
when such occurs. They must focus on
the call and keep their composure.
Game Management (GM) must include
efficient handling of substitutes (line up,
numbers recorded, and find their man as
quickly as possible) so that the ball can
get into play within a reasonable time. It
also includes getting the players to line
up for foul shots quickly. GM is also
getting to work effectively with the
minor officials. Know the timing and
scorekeepers roles and the procedures to
check scores, time, and substitutes for
equal play time.
With the above occurring within the
game, confidence can increase. So will
the willingness to blow the whistle can
occur more efficiently and when
necessary.
Calling the “Must Calls” will lead to
calls involving shooting fouls. The
‘reach fouls – reach-ins, pushes, bumps,
arm chops’ are a must call, as such
activity is not coached and displays poor
defensive skills.
Grade 5-6
i) Working with partners
ii) Confidence & Game
Control/Management
iii) Zone vs. Man to Man
Coverage
iv) Covering Zones of
Responsibility
v) Rule Differentiation for
Gr. 3-4/5-6
vi) FIBA Rules
vii) Double Whistle
Protocol
viii) Coach Rapport
ix) On floor
communication
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
Building on skills from
Grade 3-4 Emphasis
Illegal
Screens/Offensive Fouls
Shooting Fouls, working
towards all fouls
Timeouts
Zoning
Referees need to cover the
court. Referees need to hustle
into positions at the baseline
and trail positions. As well,
referees should begin ‘sliding
over’ to half court to cover
defensive positioning in Zone
3. Officials should begin
working the baseline – moving
into a better position to see
space between players. Trail
officials should begin working
the ‘arc’, moving toward the
basket on player drives or
shots, and rebounding
situations.
Referees are beginning to build their skill sets.
Important to know the rules, the floor
positioning and the fouls & violations. Referees
are building from that learned in previous
experiences as they grow as officials. The FIBA
Rules must be studied and the differences
between the Div. 3-4 and the Div. 5-12 rules
must be clear. With the basic idea of violations
and reach fouls established, focus can be on the
determination of shooting fouls. Evident fouls
must be called. As well, discretionary fouls are
also requiring a quick decision, as advantage –
disadvantage starts to be recognized and applied.
Consistency becomes vital to the application of
the rules – violations and fouls. Communication
with players on the floor – being proactive and
preventive can be established to improve games.
A key to this level of basketball is the
incorporation of screens in offensive schemes.
Officials need to be cognizant of moving
screens, particularly at the ‘elbows’ or top of the
key. Offensive fouls, such as moving screens
and charges are becoming a stronger part of the
game as the level of players also improves.
Partners should start to cover their respective
zones of responsibility, rather than watching the
ball at all times. This is important to start
coverage and increase awareness of ‘off-ball’
situations that may occur. Each should now be
able to distinguish their lines of responsibility on
violations. Any double whistles should be
limited and if such occurs, should be handled
effectively, through one’s position. The referee
where the play is coming to generally takes the
responsibility for the calling of the infraction –
foul or violation, unless the other referee has
something previous to the double whistle.
Referees should be able to begin to relate
appropriately to coaches, enabling themselves to
respond to questions addressed to them by
coaches. Referees should be able to distinguish
between appropriate approaches and nonappropriate approaches by coaches. Officials
should be communicating with coaches/players
within the context of each game.
Grade 7-8
i) The Advantage –
Disadvantage Concept
ii) Partnerships
iii) Off-ball/Zones
Coverage
iv) Man to Man vs. Zone
Press
v) Game Management –
Dead Ball Efficiency
i) Building on skills from
Grade 5-6 Emphasis
ii) Bock/Charge Calls
iii) Zone Traps/Press (Post
Christmas)
iv) Zone vs. Man to Man
Defence
Partners need to know their
individual responsibilities for
coverage – zones, pressure
defence, full court press/half
court press, etc. Transition
between the two officials is
occurring with comfort.
Movement along the baseline
and in the trail positions are
incorporated throughout the
game.
Officials are in the correct
positions to ‘see the space’
between players to help judge
contact and initiation of
contact. This is particularly
important in the calling of
Block/Charge.
The Advantage – Disadvantage Concept
should start to be recognized and employed in
the games. This idea needs to be applied
consistently throughout the game and should
be a focus based on the officials’ positions on
the court, the type of game occurring, and the
level of skills existing within the context of
the game.
The Block/Charge is an increasing component
of games and should be recognized and called
consistently throughout games. Positioning on
the floor is critical to making this call
correctly. Recognition of defensive
positioning is also important in recognizing
contact.
‘Ball Hawking’ should not be occurring, as
the officials should be focused on their
specific zones of coverage responsibilities.
Working with the partner should create ease
in covering the respective areas of coverage
each is responsible for. Transitions between
the partners – switches/full court pressure
defence/administration of violations or fouls
should some second nature and thus officials
should be able to maintain this throughout the
game.
Officials require a flow to be created and
maintained in the games. Dead ball efficiency
is important to maintaining game management
and flow. Timeouts, foul shots, substitutions,
inbounds, etc. are important to creating proper
dead ball efficiency.
Officials need to understand and apply the
Man to Man vs. Zone Defence positioning of
players. The implementation of a ‘Zone Trap’
defensive position has created some concern
for coaches and should a key consideration
and focus for officials. Understanding player
position/defensive stance & man coverage,
and coaching intent in the positioning of the
players are keys to the officials’ recognition
of zone traps or zone coverage.
Grade 9-12
i) Positioning
ii) Court Coverage
iii) Game Management
i) Building on skills from
Grade 7-8 Emphasis
ii) Unsporting/Technical
Fouls
iii) Knowledge of defences
Officials should be attempting
and emphasizing being in the
right position on the floor at all
times
Officials see a quicker paced game at
this level. It is important that the
officials are in the ‘right position’ on the
floor at ALL times. Conditioning and
hustle are extremely important to get the
official to consistently apply this
throughout all games. Continued work
with partners, being able to discuss
various aspects of the game is important
to managing the game. Increased
communication within the game with
players and coaches is essential to game
management and flow of the game.
Continuing to focus on dead ball
efficiency is also important.
Game management also requires
judgment on hard fouls vs. a contact
foul. It is important to recognize the
‘hard foul’ and call the unsporting foul
in relation to this. With the new rule for
the ‘break away’, this rule and decision
is also important to consistently apply.
As well, technical fouls become more
involved in games and need to be
discretionally used. Determining why
and when to use and not use is important
to this level.
Understanding the implications around
the various types or levels of defensive
strategy also becomes part of the focus
for the officials.