Just like Aussie Rules Football. Great game.

I use two hands, it works well for me.

I use one hand. At 6'8" I only have to toss it about a foot. Also, just seems to be easier to get out of the way.

I usually tell the players just before the jump..."Hold your spots, good luck, is that britney spears?" Then I toss it...most of the time, they are still looking into the stands by the time the ball comes back down. I even use the briteny spears line for the girls too...

I'm a one hander myself........

One handed overhand toss, no rotation. Seems to work well for me, which I think is the most important.

LOL. The only problem is that your partners just looked too.

Z

I used to throw it this way but I've now switched because of some advice given to me. If you throw it underhand then the players have a better chance at timing it (and hitting it on the way up).

It also depends on the level you are officiating. This is more for the Varsity level & higher. It really doesn't matter what you do at the lower levels.

Tips for the Jump Ball
 

Here's a story I posted a couple years ago from camp. I worked a game and was observed by J.B. Caldwell.

The tap was stolen and neither of partners called it. I thought it was stolen, but didn't have the best look from right underneath, plus I didn't have the whistle in my mouth.

So after the game, J.B. comes in and says to me, "The tap was stolen. They should've blown it dead, but I put the responsibility for that on you." He then gave me some good tips for keeping the jumpers from getting a quick read on the toss.

He said that no matter where the two jumpers are positioned, he asks both of them to back up a couple inches. This give him a little space to get between them, but more importantly, it takes them out of their comfort zone. He talks to them as they're repositioning. He says, "Let it go all the way up; I'm gonna give both of you a fair shot to get to it." Then he varies his rhythm for the toss. Sometimes he'll bounce it first, sometimes not. Sometimes he'll toss it right away, sometimes he holds onto it for an extra second or two. He basically doesn't want anybody to get too comfortable with timing his toss.

I had a board member who cared. Although that's a statistically insignificant sample, he had a good point. If you do an underhand toss, the ball has to travel farther. Any small error in the angle of the toss will be magnified by the distance it has to travel. His recommendation: either two-hand toss it (which I do now) or shot put it.

Chuck, thanks for the idea about scooting the players back. I usually start outside the circle, whistle, march smartly into the circle and toss it quickly. If the players are too close together, I'm in trouble. I think I'll try the approach you suggest.

Couple of years ago Basketball Australia (our governing body) sent out an instruction that all referees were to use a two handed toss, and not to have the whistle in their mouths.

On a tangent - since the introduction of the possession arrow, I have noticed many more referees having to re-toss the ball due to their error. Maybe this is because we now only do one jump ball per game, so it is a skill that is being lost.....any thoughts?

but are you wearing a belt?

I do the one handed toss starting from about the head. If I do the two handed or underhand toss I have to start too low and the players then seem to get in the way. I like to start my throw as high as possible.

I do that practice toss as well but I practice inside the hoop as I can guage how straight it is by throwing it into the hoop.

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Once there was an official who tossed the tip all the way between the rafters. At half-time the second official questioned him about it and he said, "Yeah, my fly was unzipped. While everyone was watching the ball I bent down and zipped up my fly."

:) A story I heard