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For those who strive to be A Better Official

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- Basketball referee play review

5 Play Fridays – S1 E2 – 5 Plays to help basketball referees be a better official.

5 Play Fridays – S1 E2 – Today as we do basketball referee play review, we’re going to focus on two of the NFHS points of emphasis for 2018. we’ll start with two plays that involve traveling and then two plays that involve block/charge and guarding. Stick around for play number 5 as I guarantee it will be a challenge for you as a basketball official. let’s get started. As we recall from the points of emphasis video for 2018, NFHS says not that there’s TOO MUCH traveling being called not that there’s TOO LITTLE traveling being called but rather the accuracy of traveling calls needs improvement and the way to improve our accuracy is to first identify the pivot foot. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here. [bctt tweet=”NFHS says not that there’s TOO MUCH traveling being called not that there’s TOO LITTLE traveling being called but rather the accuracy of traveling calls needs improvement and the way to improve our accuracy is to first identify the pivot foot. ” username=”BetterOfficials”]   Play 1 – Step back move. Legal? – Basketball referee play review More basketball referee play review with this step-back play popularized by James Harden in the NBA among others. It is definitely being taught to kids today, so it’s something we have to learn to officiate. The player terminates his dribble with a right foot pivot foot. He uses the right foot to push his body away from the defender and creates space for an open shot. This is all well and good. The problem is he comes with a staggered landing landing: one foot two foot. By rule that is a traveling violation. What he’s trying to do is execute the move from our points of emphasis video. He jumps off one foot holding the ball but

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new backcourt rules for high school

New Basketball Backcourt Rule for High School 2018! Not so fast!

New Basketball Backcourt Rule for High School The National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) published new basketball backcourt rule exception. A shiny looking, ‘rules exception’ about backcourt violations, but in doing so they have confused many officials. Let’s get this ‘clarification’ about backcourt rules right. The language provided by NFHS: 9-9-1: A player shall not be the first to touch the ball after it has been in team control in the frontcourt, if he/she or a teammate last touched or was touched by the ball in the frontcourt before it went to the backcourt. EXCEPTION: Any player located in the backcourt may recover a ball deflected from the frontcourt by the defense. [bctt tweet=”9-9-1: A player shall not be the first to touch the ball after it has been in team control in the frontcourt, if he/she or a teammate last touched or was touched by the ball in the frontcourt before it went to the backcourt. EXCEPTION: Any player located in the backcourt may recover a ball deflected from the frontcourt by the defense.” username=”BetterOfficials”] Our video explaination: Our rules clarification for this year 2018 is about backcourt violations. It involves one single play that was improperly interpreted by the committee in 2007 as being a violation. We are going to look at that play. This play is now, by rule, LEGAL. So, the NFHS said, “You know what? We had this interpretation. It was wrong. We’re going to fix it by including an exception into the rule. Recognize that the backcourt RULES. HAVE. NOT. CHANGED! Here is our play… This is a legal play. Misguided Rules Interpretation from 2007 about basketball backcourt violation In 2007, NFHS said this play is illegal and this is a backcourt violation on red. When we look at backcourt plays, let’s go through

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Flagrant Foul Fitchburg player ejected

Flagrant Foul Basketball Video Fitchburg State player ejected

Flagrant Foul Basketball Video – Fitchburg State player ejected The viral video of the flagrant foul committed by a Fitchburg State player in the basketball game has been viewed by millions. From the cropped view there is an impression that the referees on the game were lacking. The full video shows clearly that that was not the case. The officials handled the play and the aftermath very well on the play that led to the Fitchburg State player being ejected. From a basketball official’s perspective, the Flagrant Foul Basketball Video provides us all a chance to get better. Here is our analysis of the Flagrant Foul Basketball Video with Fitchburg State player being ejected. Video Transcription: Whoa what time is it? It’s time to look at plays! Hi everybody it’s Greg with abetterofficial.com where we craft video to help basketball officials get better and to take control of their officiating career. Throughout the season we will be having play review. We are going to start with this play here. I’m fairly certain most people have seen the play. It is all over instagram, twitter, facebook, and the news. A heinous act. No place in the game for this kind of activity obviously. We are going to look at the play and see what we can learn from it. Not from the short, cropped view that kind of gives the impression the officials were inattentive, but the larger view that tells the full story. We are just going to take a look and see what the crew did, and how we may be able to do better the next time we have a similar scenario. The scenario Here is our scenario: it’s a 10 point game. 3 minutes remaining in the game. The offending player on the flagrant foul apparently has a

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basketball terms and definitions

Basketball Terms and Rules

Basketball terms and rules of the game of basketball. Basketball terms and rules are critical to understanding the game of basketball. The terms and rules are the essential elements that keep the game fair. NFHS 4-1 WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF AN AIRBORNE SHOOTER IN BASKETBALL? ART. 1 . . . An airborne shooter is a player who has released the ball on a try for a goal or has tapped the ball and has not returned to the floor. ART. 2 . . . The airborne shooter is considered to be in the act of shooting. NFHS 4-2 WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF AN ALTERNATING POSSESSION AND ARROW IN BASKETBALL? ART. 1 . . . Alternating possession is the method of putting the ball in play by a throw-in as outlined in 6-4. ART. 2 . . . The possession arrow is a device located at the scorer’s table which is used to indicate the direction of a team’s basket for the alternating-possession procedure. NFHS 4-3 WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF SETTING DIRECTION OF INITIAL ARROW IN BASKETBALL? Alternating-possession control is established and the initial direction of the possession arrow is set toward the opponent’s basket when: ART. 1 . . . A player secures control of the ball, as after the jump ball beginning the game and each extra period. ART. 2 . . . The ball is placed at the disposal of the free thrower after a – common foul when the bonus free throw is in effect. ART. 3 . . . The ball is placed at the disposal of the thrower after: a. A violation during or following the jump before a player secures control. b. The free throws for a non-common foul. c. A common foul before the bonus free throw is in effect. NOTE: This procedure is

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signals and mechanics are made in an aerobics room

Monty McCutchen: Basketball Signals and Mechanics are made in an aerobics room

Basketball signals and mechanics are crucial to our success as basketball referees. The stakeholders in the game want the game officials to be confident and consistent. They want referees who will administer the game efficiently and with purpose.  This is what we are all about at abetterofficial.com. Monty McCutchen was considered to be at the very top level of NBA basketball officials. He moved into NBA management in 2018. For basketball officials the phrase holds true, “When Monty speaks, I listen!” “When Monty speaks, I listen!” Monty McCutchen: “As we get into presence on the floor though, we are going to move into the subject of projection. Projection on the floor is what defines our presence, at least in regards to refereeing the actual game. Projection starts long before you actually get to the game. It all starts with your signals. Basketball signals and mechanics are a hard-fought battle won in an aerobics room. They are not won anywhere else other than well in advance of the actual event. Projection is the performance of the hard work you put in into the aerobics room. I used to practice probably close to an hour a day. In the aerobics room, I use both the space and the mirrors to see your signals and how they look from front? How do they look from the side and even how they look from back? You can look back through various degrees of how the mirrors work. You can work on your pacing. “Alright I’m on the left side of the goal here and I’m going to present to a table with on my right. Do I want to walk around players and give off the impression that I’m scared of them? Or, am I going to cut through the lane and and go directly

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NFHS basketball referees

NFHS Basketball Officiating Principles – NFHS Officials Manual [2018]

NFHS Basketball Officiating Principles are an often overlooked by basketball referees. Having a quick review can only reinforce the positive messages therein! PART 1 – OFFICIATING PRINCIPLES (NFHS)   1.0 CODE OF CONDUCT 1.0.1: Officials shall master both the rules of the game and the mechanics necessary to enforce the rules, and shall exercise authority in an impartial, firm and controlled manner. 1.0.2: Officials shall work with each other and their state associations in a constructive and cooperative manner. 1.0.3: Officials shall uphold the honor and dignity of the profession in all interaction with student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, school administrators, colleagues and the public. 1.0.4: Officials shall prepare themselves both physically and mentally, shall dress neatly and appropriately, and shall comport themselves in a manner consistent with the high standards of the profession. 1.0.5: Officials shall be punctual and professional in the fulfillment of all contractual obligations. 1.0.6: Officials shall remain mindful that their conduct influences the respect that student-athletes, coaches and the public hold for the profession. 1.0.7: Officials shall, while enforcing the rules of play, remain aware of the inherent risk of injury that competition poses to student-athletes. Where appropriate, they shall inform event management of conditions or situations that appear unreasonably hazardous. 1.0.8: Officials shall take reasonable steps to educate themselves in the recognition of emergency conditions that might arise during the course of competition.   1.1.1 Purpose of Rules: The philosophy of the basketball rules is to allow two teams to play so that neither team has an unfair advantage. The role of officials is to enforce the rules. Mechanics are the necessary tool that place officials in the proper position to enforce the rules. This manual is written with those purposes in mind. The philosophy that should be followed is that the rules book and

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