Changing the ball?

[Danvrapp]

So had a game Tuesday where, halfway through the 2nd quarter, coach A1 comments about too much air in the ball, could we take some out? My partners and I discuss this during next TO, and after the 2nd quarter ends an end we notify both coaches we'll do it during halftime. For the record, the ball was probably bouncing either slightly high, yet in the acceptable range or--depending upon your view--slightly too high to be acceptable.

No one complained about the ball the entire 2nd half.

Here's the question: Is there anything against doing this mid-game? Was this a situation where we just tell the coach "This is what we started with, this is what we'll finish with." Since the R "verified" the game ball before the game began, is there any rule against swapping it out after the game begins?

For that matter, is there ever a time (for reasons that I can not currently think of) that you WOULD/COULD switch or alter the ball after the game began?

[crosscountry55]

That's a good one. Never thought of that before.

I don't disrespect the decision your crew made, mainly because you talked to both coaches about and all parties agreed.

That said, I think from a logic standpoint I would have stuck with the game ball as it was in the 1st half. Game ball integrity is alluded to in the rule that states it must remain at the table during halftime.

It's easy for the R to not take the testing of the air pressure in the game ball seriously before the game, but this is why it's important. If you don't, you may regret it when you're stuck with an out-of-specs ball for the whole game. If you do, than you can confidently tell the coach, "sorry, Coach, but we checked the ball and it's legal. We're not going to alter it now."

[just another ref]

I can't imagine this would be a problem for anybody. If you agree it has too much air, take some out, whenever that is. If you don't agree, leave it alone.

[Adam]

Had a low level game (either YMCA or AAU) once, about halfway into the first quarter, the coach throws me a ball from his bench and says we should use that instead since the other ball was low (I think). I thanked him and threw his ball back to him. The ball we were using was fine, and I wasn't going to change course.

In your case, if the ball met specs, I'd leave it alone. If not, and you hadn't addressed it previously, then I see no problem with your solution.

[SNIPERBBB]

Whatever you do, dont do what a partner did to me last year. I was the R and it was partway through the first quarter and he decides during a dead ball that ball wasn't to his specs, knowing that I checked the ball before the game. I was on the other side of the court and he just went off and went to get another ball.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Danvrapp

For that matter, is there ever a time (for reasons that I can not currently think of) that you WOULD/COULD switch or alter the ball after the game began?

Game ball develops a leak and starts going flat.

[BillyMac]

Way back in the late twentieth century, when the 28.5 girls ball first came into use, we had a referee allow a 28.5 girls ball in a high school boys varsity game for a few minutes. A player eventually asked about the ball, and it was replaced with the proper boys ball.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Adam

I thanked him and threw his ball back to him.

I hope you threw it back to him like this:

[bob jenkins]

If both teams agree, do it. If not, keep the original ball. Happened to me earlier this year (with one team not agreeing).

Had a case where the ball used in the first half was apparently NOT the "official conference basketball" so we switched at halftime (no one told us that ther was an official ball to be used)

[HokiePaul]

Originally Posted by Danvrapp

For that matter, is there ever a time (for reasons that I can not currently think of) that you WOULD/COULD switch or alter the ball after the game began?

If blood got on the ball, I would change out ball. I think this would be easier and quicker (and probably safer) than having the ball cleaned.

[La Rikardo]

When I first started officiating basketball, coming from my background in soccer, I was caught off-guard when we were given only one ball. In soccer, multiple balls usually end up being used in any given game. NCAA rules actually require a minimum of five balls. At the amateur level, it's not at all uncommon for a team to put a ball in play that we hadn't checked as the referee crew. Often times we'll hear one or several players complain that the ball is too hard/soft, in which case we'll check it at the next stoppage and replace it if necessary.

Anyway, back to basketball, to me it wouldn't seem like a big deal to switch out a ball if a player complains that it's too hard/soft. Of course, if the ball is on the end of the spectrum one way or the other, we should probably be asking the teams' guards before the game what they think before we decide to use that ball.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by La Rikardo

When I first started officiating basketball, coming from my background in soccer, I was caught off-guard when we were given only one ball. In soccer, multiple balls usually end up being used in any given game. NCAA rules actually require a minimum of five balls. At the amateur level, it's not at all uncommon for a team to put a ball in play that we hadn't checked as the referee crew. Often times we'll hear one or several players complain that the ball is too hard/soft, in which case we'll check it at the next stoppage and replace it if necessary.

Anyway, back to basketball, to me it wouldn't seem like a big deal to switch out a ball if a player complains that it's too hard/soft. Of course, if the ball is on the end of the spectrum one way or the other, we should probably be asking the teams' guards before the game what they think before we decide to use that ball.

No, we shouldn't. The rules provide for a legal range - if it meets the standards, we're using the ball. At least 80% of the time, I remove air from an overinflated ball.

[Danvrapp]

Originally Posted by Rich

At least 80% of the time, I remove air from an overinflated ball.

Do you ADD air the other 20% of the time?

Speaking of (game) balls and inflation pressures, is it true that if you take air out of the ball you will have fewer held balls in girls games? I'm asking for a friend.

[BoomerSooner]

Originally Posted by Danvrapp

Do you ADD air the other 20% of the time?

The other option is that he doesn't do anything to it 20% of the time, which may or may not be appropriate depending on how we define over-inflated. I'm guess the 80% happens when the ball doesn't conform to the required pregame inspection specifications, and the 20% of the time is when it is over-inflated by manufacturer's specifications but still passes pregame inspection requirements.

My question is why you would mess around with trying to make the ball conform to the standards (removing or adding air). Assuming I discover the situation during pregame, I would just ask for a different ball.