The Worst Error You've ever made reffing a game?

[Rufus]

Originally Posted by Toren

But I remember distinctly two calls:

First: player goes in for a layup, lays the ball of the glass, defender tries to block it and hits the backboard. The backboard rattles as a result and here comes my whistle...tweet, goaltending. At the time I blew, I knew it wasn't a violation, but I didn't have much experience with above the rim plays, so I blew. Nobody said a word. Luckily enough it was a blow out game.

Secondly: Player A shoots the ball, Team B goes up to secure the rebound, before they grab the ball, Player B gets fouled. Team B is in the bonus. I call the foul, don't award the shot. What makes this worse, is I explained to the coach, "there is no team control on a shot, so that's why you don't get to shoot free throws"...wow, precisely inaccurate is how I would describe that

Frightening in that mine are both in these two scenarios with a bit of a twist:

First: same situation only I called a technical for slapping the backboard (proving that a little knowledge along with a lack of game experience are truly not a good combination).

Second (before team control on inbounds): Coming out of a timeout I remind my partners that team A is in the bonus. On an inbound soon after I hand the ball to B1, watch B2 foul A, call the foul and proceed to give the ball to A for a throw in. Correctable error time and my crew chief bailed us out, but not a fun conversation with B's coach.

First 8th grade game: Team A scores a basket and forms up to press. B1 passes the ball along the endline to B2. This looks really weird. I call a violation and give the ball to Team A. At halftime I check my rulebook and right next to the rule is a red question mark I wrote down a few months earlier indicating I didn't understand what that rule meant. When I came out after halftime, Coach B was waiting for me. Holding a rulebook in his hand.

First varsity game: also my first three-man game, I had a block/charge play which I got right. I was so focused on making the right call that I forgot the number of the player who committed the foul. Reported the wrong number, won't do that again.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by AremRed

I had a block/charge play which I got right. I was so focused on making the right call that I forgot the number of the player who committed the foul.

Most player control (charge) calls here in my little corner of two person Connecticut are taken by the lead. I'm pretty close, but not exact, to the book in my player control signal. I usually take a step, or two, onto the court as I sound my whistle (look at me, I'm about to make a big block/charge call), signal the foul with a fist in the air, put the other hand behind my head for the player control foul, and then point in the other direction for the next possession, while at the same time stating, "Player control. Blue ball". Sometimes I have to use the no basket signal. At this point, for some unknown reason, I have crept up a few more steps off the endline, and with the torso to torso contact, I have yet to see the number the offending player. At this time the two players involved have both fallen to the floor, are usually in a pile on the floor, and they're usually slightly behind me (those little creeping steps add up). Now I have to take a few steps toward the two players to get things sorted out (like a football official separating players after a fumble), and then grab the number before I approach the reporting area. It's never easy, it happens about a dozen times every season, for the past thirty-two years. I've tried to break this bad creeping habit, but old habits, especially bad habits, die hard.

[Mark Padgett]

The first year I ever reffed (after my training by Dr. Naismith) I was working a 6th grade girls rec game. The other ref was in his first year also and was a teenager, so he kind of let me be the ref "in charge". A1 went to the line for two shots. She violated on the first and I ruled she also lost the second shot because of the violation. The coach, who happened to be not only her father, but also an ex-NBA player, didn't really argue but "teased" me a little about the call a few times during the rest of the game. He always had a big smile and a friendly chuckle when he did it and his comments were somewhat friendly and funny, so I just returned his smile and didn't create an issue with him.

Oh yeah, I remember one time I made a mistake of not hitting a coach over the head with a frying pan when he mouthed off and wouldn't sit down. I've never made that mistake again.

[MD Longhorn]

Worst --- 2-3 seconds left, White down by one on a breakaway (and most likely would have scored had I not stopped play), I see a foul and blow the whistle.

Problem was, the foul was on Blue 24 ... who had just run up the back of, and knocked over, Blue 42.

Then White did not score on the throw in.

[bigcityballer]

Four games into my officiating career, I missed an offensive player stepping on the baseline. The offensive player made a really nice series of moves to get by the defender. As he plants his feet to go up for the dunk he clearly steps on the baseline. The beaten defender pointed to the spot and yelled he stepped out. BUT I had taken my whistle out of my mouth to say, "Oh, man nice move" and watched the dunk. I knew he stepped out but felt it was too late to call it after he dunked and my stupid comment. At any rate, I quit the association at the weeks end and went back to coaching. I was not missed.

[jeremy341a]

Originally Posted by bigcityballer

Four games into my officiating career, I missed an offensive player stepping on the baseline. The offensive player made a really nice series of moves to get by the defender. As he plants his feet to go up for the dunk he clearly steps on the baseline. The beaten defender pointed to the spot and yelled he stepped out. BUT I had taken my whistle out of my mouth to say, "Oh, man nice move" and watched the dunk. I knew he stepped out but felt it was too late to call it after he dunked and my stupid comment. At any rate, I quit the association at the weeks end and went back to coaching. I was not missed.

You couldn't call it anyways. It was too athletic to penalize.

[OKREF]

This summer at camp, biggest brain fart I've ever had. 3 man mechanics. Free throw late in the game. Shooting team down 1, under 20 seconds left, second free throw. Shooter shoots the shot, runs about five feet in before the shot hits the rim. Makes the shot. I step in call a violation and wave off the bucket. Only problem is I was in the trail position. The "C" said he just missed it. It was so egregious, I just saw it and reacted.

[APG]

Originally Posted by OKREF

This summer at camp, biggest brain fart I've ever had. 3 man mechanics. Free throw late in the game. Shooting team down 1, under 20 seconds left, second free throw. Shooter shoots the shot, runs about five feet in before the shot hits the rim. Makes the shot. I step in call a violation and wave off the bucket. Only problem is I was in the trail position. The "C" said he just missed it. It was so egregious, I just saw it and reacted.

I see nothing wrong with this?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by APG

I see nothing wrong with this?

Neither do I.

MTD, Sr.

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by APG

I see nothing wrong with this?

Well I was at the trail, at around half court. Staffers asked me what I was looking at. If the C didn't get I shouldn't have. They told me we should have gotten together as a crew and came up with an inadvertent whistle. I didn't even realize it wasn't mine until we went down the court.