Ref The Defense

[JPaco54]

Can some of you help me with this philosophy of "Reffing the Defense"...have read some articles mentioning this and heard it at a Training Scrimmage a few weeks back. The only thing I can remember is that if you do not ref the defense you will not be able to be fair to the defender in all cases, such as a block vs charge...This is one area I am trying to improve on, being fair to the defense as well as the offense. Thanks in Advance!

[representing]

Originally Posted by JPaco54

Can some of you help me with this philosophy of "Reffing the Defense"...have read some articles mentioning this and heard it at a Training Scrimmage a few weeks back. The only thing I can remember is that if you do not ref the defense you will not be able to be fair to the defender in all cases, such as a block vs charge...This is one area I am trying to approve on, being fair to the defense as well as the offense. Thanks in Advance!

I think you mean improve, not approve?

I've heard this several times too but cannot remember what it really means. I just think it means, especially for block/charge situations, that you should watch the defensive player so you can see exactly where he/she is and how long he/she has been there. It'll help you make a better decision to call a block or a charge. It will help you not look at the ball and the offensive player with the ball so much, which can help to distract you.

[rockyroad]

The easiest thing to do is to force yourself to watch the defenders in your primary area...as you come down the court, and red is going to be on defense, just tell yourself "Watch red, watch red". That way you are not watching the ball or the person with the ball, but are watching the defenders and can see the entire play as it develops.

[Freddy]

One important consideration (other contributors will no doubt express others shortly), especially in block/charge situations, is that you establish first and foremost whether the defender has obtained legal guarding position. That can only be done by giving primary attention to the defender, then seeing the play all the way through as the offender does or does not offend.
That is just one of the instances whereby "reffing the defense" leads to the correct call. The current block/charge videos on the NFHS website, in some instances, illustrate this rather well.

[JRutledge]

This concept basically means watch the defense so when and if contact occurs you are not surprised and you know if the defense did something illegal or not. Usually the block/charge is the reason this comes up often, but it also helps you know that other possible illegal activity is taking place. Often a player that wants to touch a dribbler does things with their arms long before they touch the player. So when contact occurs you can anticipate the action and not be caught totally off guard if you have a foul or if you do not have a foul.

Peace

[Berkut]

I've always thought of it like this:

99% of the time, the outcome of contact is going to be determined not by what the offensive players does, but by what the defensive player does.

Block/charge is the obvious example - the determination of which player is at fault for contact is almost completely based on what the defender does (or does not do). Obviously, this is based on whether he estrablishes and then maintains a legal guarding position. The actions of the offensive player are largely immaterial to this determination. So if you find yourself watching the offensive player, and there is a crash, how will you know who caused the contact?

Another example is contact on a shooter. Whether it is a foul or not is almsot entirely determined by the actions of the defense - did he keep within his vertical space and LGP? If so, the contact is probably created by the offensive player, and we have nothing, but if the defender drops his arms, or slides over, we may have a foul.

Even when there are exceptions, you still will not miss them by officiating the defense. When an offensive player pushes off, for example, you will see that if you are focusing on the defensive player.

Anytime I am transitioning down the court, and especially when the play is a transition play, I am trying to pick out the 1 or 2 defensive players who are going to impact the upcoming play, and focusing the bulk of my attention on them.

This is what I think is meant by "officiating the defense".

[j51969]

I wish I was an NFL Ref....I would referee the dallas cowboy cheerleaders

[JPaco54]

Thanks for the replies! Very helpful!

[26 Year Gap]

The illegal screen can also be observed by watching the defense. If the defender is thrown off his normal defensive pattern by a step-in by the offense or a thrown hip into his path, the call is made pretty easily.