I call baseball and football. Funny thing is, in H.S. it was basketball. Well I am now going to pick up basketball. I have heard it is the worst sport to call. Am I sick in the head for doing this or not. Give me you opinion please. Either way I wll give it a year or 2 but what can I really expect.

cowboyfan1,
Expect every game to be fun.
Expect all your game management skills to be useful.
mick

Life is what you make it.
 

Refereeing basketball is work and like any other sport it will require your full concentration while officiating. There are a tremendous amount of split-second judgement decisions you will be asked to make as you call a game. These plays look different from different angles and so not everyone will agree with your calls (even your partner sometimes will see things different). As a consequence, I think basketball officials take more "heat" from players, coaches and fans than any other sport. Some of it is disrespectful. However, any official worth anything will be able to allow those comments to slide off. I do enjoy reffing basketball. It is a great game to be a part of.

From my perspective, basketball officiating is the most challenging, but also the most fun. I am probably a better umpire than a ref, but I still prefer to officiate basketball. It is more challenging physically. And mentally there are so many things to look for, it can seem overwhelming. I find it very rewarding.

As Ref in PA said, game management is more demanding. A baseball manager will come out and argue a call. A basketball coach is more likely to try and "work" you on the sidelines. You have to listen but you also have to know when enough is enough. Since you have experience doing other sports, I am sure you will manage that part well.

The other nice thing about basketball, no 3 hour games in the blistering sun.

A year or two is not enough. If one is serious about studying the rulebook, learning and practicing proper mechanics, working many games, and attending a clinic or two, he will become a decent ref. This takes about four years, then you get that "hey, I really know what I am doing on the court" feeling, and your game just improves from there.

It only works if one is willing to learn and listen to experienced refs who know what they are doing, and aspire to follow proper proceedure so you can learn good habits.
Passing the written test is just a tiny step through the door of becomoing a good basketball official.

Good luck. If you have a passion to call football and baseball, you will probably have the same drive to do well at basketball. I have officiated baseball for 9 years and started basketball for exercise! Now, seven years later, it is my favorite, that is, during the winter until baseball season begins :)

You're gonna love it. Have fun!

If you love the game, everything else will work out.
 

That is what drives me. I love the challenge, interacting with the people in the game, and really feel that I contribute to the education of young people as they grow into basketball. I have always loved this sport and to me, being an official is putting me on the court doing something I enjoy.

Some people do this for the wrong reasons: money, control needs, like to wear double knit slacks. But, these will generally fail or at best reach a low level in the basketball carreet. But, if you love the game, you will work it into something that will be very rewarding.

Best of luck to you on your new adventure.

Most challenging.
 

Basketball is probably the most fun and challenging overall. I love football a lot, but I can officiate a football game and hardly participate in anything that happens. Being a Referee, I obviously have more involvement and have to report every single foul, but if I am a wing or BJ, I might not do much of anything that night. Basketball is not like that at all. You are always involved. There is always something to do and something to call. It is very rare if you were to have only 10 calls, and that is if you are working with 2 other officials.

The wonderful thing about football, you have the comradery of 4 other guys (at least) to do all your games. In basketball you do not get that same oneness or familiarity most of the time. I have a few guys I might work with on a regular basis, but depending on the conference or the tournament, I might not work 1/3 of the games with them. So every night you can work with a different guys to officiate a basketball game.

Both Football and basketball are fun, they both have differnet challenges and different expectations. You might have to work a little harder to officiate basketball, but it can be more individually rewarding at times as well.

Peace

Well put J Rut.

Can't really add much to what everybody else has already said.

From your experience in the other sports, you already know how to be an official. That's half the battle.

Study and learn the basketball rules and mechanics.

Good luck!

Thanks all
 

I mainly picked it up to help keep in shape between football and baseball. I will not cheat it though and not put in the time to learn the rules and mechanics. Football and baseball are my passion and I will sit and watch most any game on tv with them. Other than the NCAA tourney, I gotta be watching a team I love to watch basketball (Tho overall I cannot stand to Pro game). I will work hard at it tho as my own drive and competitivness will not allow me to do otherwise. Good luck in the upcoming season everyone.

Re: Thanks all
 

Do not feel bad, many of us here do not like it that much either. I did not even watch one playoff game in its entirety last year.

Peace

Probaboy because NBA isn't "real" basketball, it's ENTERTAINMENT. I'll take a good HS or college games any day
(to watch, or ref).

I've been to only one NBA game.
It was very special!
mick

NBA?????
 

I've been in San Antonio the last 4 years and only attended one game. My beloved wife said to me "you know its nice to be in a city that has one the NBA Championship". For once I agreed with her and plan to go to more games.

I'm a big NBA fan and it surprises me when people refer to it as entertainment. The NBA has some of the world's best athletes and it amazes me to see what they do.

I consider the Globetrotters, Streethoops and the And One games B-Ball entertainment.

OK if it is not entertainment then how bout they call traveling more than once a year? or a carry?? How bout an offensive foul on Shaq when he just plows over a defender? Or yet how bout a push off in Jordan in the NBA finals against Utah his last year in Chicago? (think the last 2 fall under preferential star treatment, which seriously needs to go) Then we can talk about it being real basketball.

So what you are telling me is that the officiating is entertainment, not the play? Ask Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin and Byron Scott if they were entertaining when they got their butts kicked in the finals. All I can say is that the players are out there to win, PERIOD!!!! The NBA is where everyone wants to be, including refs.

Re: NBA?????
 

Even so, the rules have been written to allow those athletes to do what they do. The rules are written to make the game more entertaining.

Re: Re: NBA?????
 

IMHO, the rules are written to adapt to the players. They are bigger and faster.

I guess College ball is entertainment also because of the changes in 04-05 (trapezoid lane and longer 3 pt line)?

Re: Re: Re: NBA?????
 

IMHO, the rules are written to adapt to the players. They are bigger and faster.

I guess College ball is entertainment also because of the changes in 04-05 (trapezoid lane and longer 3 pt line)? [/B][/QUOTE]

Woodee, no need to be defensive about it, partner. I enjoy watching the NBA as well. But I recognize that the changes that have been made to the game are for entertainment purposes. That because rules are changed doesn't mean that it's done for entertainment purposes. But with the NBA, it clearly is.

The fact is the rules are different and it's called differently because the NBA is selling a product. Players, coaches, and owners are all making millions. If the fans aren't entertained, they go away and the millions go away. The fact that it's entertainment isn't necessarily bad and it doesn't make it the WWE. But it's an entirely different game.

Re: Re: Re: Re: NBA?????
 

Woodee, no need to be defensive about it, partner. I enjoy watching the NBA as well. But I recognize that the changes that have been made to the game are for entertainment purposes. That because rules are changed doesn't mean that it's done for entertainment purposes. But with the NBA, it clearly is.


The fact is the rules are different and it's called differently because the NBA is selling a product. Players, coaches, and owners are all making millions. If the fans aren't entertained, they go away and the millions go away. The fact that it's entertainment isn't necessarily bad and it doesn't make it the WWE. But it's an entirely different game. [/B][/QUOTE]



BktBallRef,

The only thing about the NBA I see thats staged is the officiating. I have a tape of the 1998 finals and the MJ
push-off was done right in front of Dick Bavetta. All he had to do was blow the whistle, the replay would have saved him. Because he didn't, we have people calling it entertainment and that takes away from it being a sport. I understand the business side and thats the entertainment aspect, but what happens on the court makes it a legit sport.

Thanks for your feedback!

BTW, what rule changes are for entertainment purposes?

Woodee, in the final seconds, that play isn't going to be called. In the same post-season, Reggie Miller shoved MJ from the 3 point line almost to the division line before catching the ball and hitting a 3 to beat the Bulls in the playoffs at Market Square. I could probably cite a half dozen more instances just like that. So, you stated it yourself. Fans don't want to see an offensive foul called in those situations. That want the entertainment, that shot at the buzzer that wins the game.

You want an example of a rule changed that was designed to make the game more entertaining. How about the rule that allows a team to advance the ball to half court if they call a TO in the last minute of the game? But no, wait. That wasn't good enough. Now, they get the ball at the 28' hash mark. Now tell me that change wasn't made for entertainment purposes. ;)

[Edited by BktBallRef on Sep 1st, 2003 at 10:45 PM]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: NBA?????
 

Woodee -- I don't think entertainment has to be staged. I don't think the game is played for a certain team to win, it is true competition. But it's still designed especially to be entertaining. A good solid defense can be kind of boring for most fans, so the emphasis is on razzle-dazzle offense. That's not to say it's fake, it's just aimed at a certain fan base. I don't happen to enjoy it very much, and I don't think it's as interesting as college ball, or the WNBA for that matter. But I don't think it's staged.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: NBA?????
 

rainmaker makes an important point that I didn't address. just because we consider it to be entertainment, doesn't mean that it's rigged or staged. To the contrary, I don't think that's true at all.

Just quoting Mr. Perfect.
 

They can have the court. That must be difficult to get on the plane. :rolleyes:

Some of obviously do not walk on water as much as we think they do.

Peace

Well, the play by Miller was a shove with both hands.

I'm not so sure about the one hand push by Jordan on Russell. I'd probably pass on that one. Call it and Jackson wants to know why a foul wasn't called on Russell for having his hands all over Jordan.

I remember the Miller play it was in front of everyone, but on the Pacers' floor. As for MJ's shove, I'm a big fan of MJ and since I've beeen officiating I look at that play differently. Dick Bavetta had a good look at the play and should of called player control only because it was directly in front of him.

Now from a b-ball standpoint, I would prefer MJ take a 19 foot jumper rather than penetrate to the goal for an almost certain foul and the possible free-throw. Problem with that is, HE is the best Hooper to date and given any advantage he would captalize on it.

NBA officiating is tough! Before you know it, they will do away with the refs and allow the players to make their own calls for real entertainment!!

Worst Sport?
 

If you think that basketball is to worst sport to officiate, try soccer!!! I must be crazy, cause I've done that sport for 35 years. I also do football and basketball, and prefere those hands down.

Re: Worst Sport?
 

The folks here like Hoops!
We ain't in it for the money... except for... (<i> um, ....never mind</i>)

...35 years of soccer, buddy. You have to be in great shape!
mick