Getting back into refereeing after about five years off...

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by wonderlic
Hey there everybody, I have really enjoyed reading the posts here and all the discussion. My question is this, I have been out of officiating for about five years and will be getting back into it shortly (after the adjustment of moving to a new city) and was wondering if there have been any major rule changes in the game. I have been going to as many games (high school level) as possible to "relearn the game" and can't wait to get back into it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Wonderlic -- These guys have been doing too many rec games this week. You don't need to take them too serionsly. There have been quite a few changes i nthe past five years, and I suggest yyou get ahold of a set of NFHS books and study them. A few basics that come to mind are the free throw line-up and the free throw mechanics; if A1 violates during the initial toss, B gets the ball but A gets the arrow; some minor changes in BI and GT; some states may have a mercy rule; player who leave the floor for injury may come back in before the clock starts at the cost of a time-out; swinging elbows without contact is a violation not a T; and the ever popular kick signal. Now that I've missed at least five important ones, someone else will chime in with some more.