Jr. Jazz Thank you for registering for Officials Academy. Officiating basketball has several challenges but can also be very rewarding. As a Jr. Jazz Referee you have the ability to impact the lives of hundreds of basketball players. Because you get this opportunity it is very important that you take the time to learn the rules and tools that you have to make the game better for everyone involved: Players, Coaches, Parents, and co-workers. This manual has a lot of important information that will make your job easier and more enjoyable. Be sure to read through it and learn what it will take to be an awesome referee. Take this opportunity to become the best Jr. Jazz Referee you can be! Thanks for becoming a part of Salt Lake County Jr. Jazz Referee Staff. Salt Lake County Officials Academy 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 - Preparing To Referee Stay On Top of Your Game... 5 Uniform... 6 Court Diagram... 7 Fouls... 8 Violations... 9 Basic Rules... 10 Signals... 16 Floor Coverage and Positioning... 20 2 - Manage the Game Making Calls... 22 Working with a Partner... 23 Working with Parents... 23 Working with Coaches... 24 Pre-Game... 27 Post-Game... 27 3
PART 1 - Preparing to Referee 4
STAY ON TOP OF YOUR GAME Arrive 10 Minutes early for your shift, dress appropriately and be confident. (see pg. 6) Continually gain knowledge of the game and its rules; attend referee trainings, watch other referees, ask questions. Stay in shape! You need to keep up with the athletes. Be consistent with your calls. Communicate with coaches, communicate with scorekeeper, communicate with players. Know how to manage conflict, take criticism, and admit when you have made a mistake. BE CONFIDENT. Make decisions that are firm and clear. Be in charge of the court from tip-off to the final horn. Have integrity. Make sure the game is played fairly. Be coachable. A successful official is always eager to take advice from a more experienced official. Respect everyone. Keep your emotions under control. Focus on the game, not the fans or coaches. Be friendly, smile, and have fun! 5
UNIFORM Your uniform consists of the following: Referee Shirt Referee Shirts are Black and White Stripped and are worn TUCKED IN. If you forget to bring your ref shirt to work there will be a spare one in the site bag at the school for you to borrow. BLACK Shorts Please wear Black or Mostly Black athletic shorts. You can purchase non-name brand from a sporting goods store for under $10. Athletic Shoes You need to wear comfortable athletic shoes. No loafers, skater shoes, or the trendy canvas shoes. (Ex. Toms, Vans) Whistle You will need to bring your whistle with to ref. The site supervisor will have a community whistle if you forget yours, but that s gross. 6
COURT DIAGRAM 7
FOULS Illegal contact from a defender. Can include hitting the players arm on a shot or pass, making contact with the body, or bear hugging while playing defense. Officials want to avoid injury to players, so you need to discourage rough play by blowing your whistle when physical contact occurs. Young players are not big enough, strong enough, or mature enough to handle the kind of contact that occurs at higher competitive levels. Ball Handler Contact - Any contact by a defensive player on a ball handler must be called. This contact inhibits the freedom of movement and the ability for the players to actually play basketball. There should be NO contact with a ball handler/dribbler. Automatic Fouls on a ball handler include: Placing two hands on the player. Placing an extended arm bar on the player. Placing and keeping a hand on the player. Contacting the player more than once with the same hand or alternating hands. 8
VIOLATIONS TRAVEL Traveling is when a player takes more than two steps while holding the ball. DOUBLE DRIBBLE Double Dribble occurs when a player dribbles the ball, picks it up, and then dribbles again. Officials need to be consistent when calling traveling and double dribble violations. 3rd and 4th grade level TALK with the players and explain why you called the travel or double dribble Be sure to tell them what they did we must call these violations so that the players learn. Coaches at the level will either appreciate the teaching or get mad that there is no flow. Explain to them that you are here to enforce the rules and assist with making the players understand the violations. 5th and 6th graders should understand these concepts and should not need as much explaining however, still tell them what they did be consistent and call the violations. 7th and 8th grade Call everything. You should not need to do any explaining at this level, but if a player clearly doesn t understand the call explain it to them. (The coaches appreciate when you communicate to their players, what they did wrong.) 5-SECOND COUNT The Offensive player only has 5 seconds to pass the ball in from out of bounds. If the player does not release the ball by the time you verbally and visibly count to 5 blow your whistle, and award the ball to the defending team. Make sure the player throwing in the ball knows you are starting the count. 9
BASIC RULES GAME LENGTH Each game consists of 4-8 minute quarters. There is 1 minute between the 1st and 2nd Quarter and between the 3rd and 4th Quarter. There is NO overtime. If it ends in a tie-that s how it stays. HALF-TIME Period between 2nd and 3rd quarter. It is 3 minutes long and may be shortened if the game is running behind schedule. JUMP BALL One official tosses the ball from the center circle to start the game. After this initial jump ball any time the ball is tied up between two players of opposing teams you will use the alternating possession procedure aka a jump ball. Your Score keeper should keep track of this at the table and let you know who will have possession of the ball. SUBSTITUTIONS Substitutions can be made on any dead ball by either team. A Dead Ball occurs when you have blown the whistle for a foul, a violation, a time out, or the end of the quarter. 10
BASIC RULES FREE THROW Free throws are shot from the free throw line. They are awarded for fouls that occur during the act of shooting. Award 2 free-throws for shots inside the 3pt line. And 3 free throws for shots behind the 3pt line. For Non-shooting fouls: When a team has committed 7+ team fouls on the opposing team the opposing team is now in the Bonus 1 and 1. Free throws are then awarded to the offended player (the person who got fouled). They shoot 1 foul shot, if they make the first, they are awarded a second foul shot. If they miss the first it is a live ball. When a team has committed 10+ fouls 2 bonus free throws are awarded to the offended player. NEW: Players in marked lane spaces are allowed to enter the Lane when the ball is released by the free-thrower. See diagram below: 11
GRADE SPECIFIC RULES 3rd/4th Grade Jr. Jazz Rules High School basketball rules will govern play with the following modifications: 1. The 3 rd and 4 th grade league will use a women s size (28.5 ) basketball and will play on a ten-foot basket (a nine-foot basket may be used at the discretion of the facility). 2. There will be four, 8-minute quarters using a running clock. The clock will stop on free throws and time-outs and on all dead balls during the last minute of each quarter. 3. If any team is leading by 15 points or more, the visible score will not be posted until the scoring margin is within 10 points. The actual score will continue to be kept correctly on the score sheet at the time keeper s table. 4. The game will be started with a jump ball. All subsequent jump balls and the start of the remaining quarters will be alternating possessions. 5. 5-second key violation. 6. Depending on measurement tools/lines and court availability free throws will be shot from (12) feet from the basket. 7. One-and-one bonus will be awarded on the seventh team foul of each half. Double bonus will be awarded on the tenth team foul. During free-throws players in the marked lane space can enter the key once the ball leaves the shooters hand, the free-throw shooter and players behind the shooter can enter once the ball hits the rim. 8. There are no special restrictions on the type of defense used. You may use zone or man-to-man. No defense can be played until the ball crosses the half court line. No full court press allowed at any time. 9. Any player receiving an unsportsmanship technical foul will sit out eight (8) game time minutes. If a player receives two unsportsmanship technical fouls in a single game he/she will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next game. A meeting with the program coordinator is required before that player is eligible to return to the league. Three unsportsmanship technical fouls accumulated during the season will result in being suspended from league play. 10. Any head coach receiving an unsportsmanship technical foul will be required to sit down on the bench for the remainder of the game. If a coach receives two unsportsmanship technical fouls in a single game he/she will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next game. A meeting with the program coordinator is required before that coach is eligible to return to the league. Three unsportsmanship technical fouls accumulated during the season will result in being suspended from league play. 11. Each team will receive two, 1-minute timeouts per half. Unused timeouts in the first half do not carry over to the second half. 12. There will be no overtime periods. If the game ends in a tie, it is a tie. 12
5th/6th Grade Jr. Jazz Rules High School basketball rules will govern play with the following modifications: 1. The 5th and 6th grade girl s leagues will use a women s size (28.5 ) basketball. The 5th grade boy s league will use a women s size (28.5 ) basketball. An official men s size (29.5 ) basketball will be optional for 6th grade boy s leagues. All 5th and 6th grade leagues will play on a ten-foot basket. 2. There will be four, 8-minute quarters using a running clock. The clock will stop on free throws and time-outs and on all dead balls during the last minute of each quarter. 3. If any team is leading by 15 points or more, the visible score will not be posted until the scoring margin is within 10 points. The actual score will continue to be kept correctly on the score sheet at the time keeper s table. 4. The game will be started with a jump ball. All subsequent jump balls and the start of the remaining quarters will be alternating possessions. 5. 3-second key violation. 6. Free throws will be shot from the free throw line (15) feet from the basket. 7. One-and-one bonus will be awarded on the seventh team foul of each half. Double bonus will be awarded on the tenth team foul. During free-throws players in the marked lane space can enter the key once the ball leaves the shooters hand, the freethrow shooter and players behind the shooter can enter once the ball hits the rim. 8. There are no special restrictions on the type of defense used. You may use zone or man-to-man. A full court press will only be allowed during the last 2-minutes of the second and forth quarters. At all other times there can be no defense played until the ball crosses the half court line. Exception: if a team is leading by 10 points or more they will not be allowed to full court press. 9. Any player receiving an unsportsmanship technical foul will sit out eight (8) game time minutes. If a player receives two unsportsmanship technical fouls in a single game he/ she will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next game. A meeting with the program coordinator is required before that player is eligible to return to the league. Three unsportsmanship technical fouls accumulated during the season will result in being suspended from league play. 10. Any head coach receiving an unsportsmanship technical foul will be required to sit down on the bench for the remainder of the game. If a coach receives two unsportsmanship technical fouls in a single game he/she will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next game. A meeting with the program coordinator is required before that coach is eligible to return to the league. Three unsportsmanship technical fouls accumulated during the season will result in being suspended from league play. 11. Each team will receive two, 1-minute timeouts per half. Unused timeouts in the first half do not carry over to the second half. 12. There will be no overtime periods. If the game ends in a tie, it is a tie. 13
I LOVE TO REF!! 14
7th/8th Grade Rules High School basketball rules will govern play with the following modifications: 1. The 7 th and 8 th grade girl s leagues will use a women s size (28.5 ) basketball. An official men s size (29.5 ) basketball will be used for its boy s leagues. All 7 th and 8 th grade leagues will play on a ten-foot basket. 2. There will be four, 8-minute quarters using a running clock. The clock will stop only on free throws and time-outs and on all dead balls during the last minute of each quarter. 3. 3-second key violation. 4. Free throws will be shot from the free throw line (15) feet from the basket. During free-throws players in the marked lane space can enter the key once the ball leaves the shooters hand, the free-throw shooter and players behind the shooter can enter once the ball hits the rim. 5. There are no special restrictions on the type of defense used. You may use zone or man-to-man. A full court press is allowed at any time during the game. Exception: if a team is leading by 10 or more points they will not be allowed to full court press. 6. Any player receiving an unsportsmanship technical foul will sit out eight (8) game time minutes. If a player receives two unsportsmanship technical fouls in a single game he/she will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next game. 7. Any head coach receiving an unsportsmanship technical foul will be required to sit down on the bench for the remainder of the game. If a coach receives two unsportsmanship technical fouls in a single game he/she will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next game. 8. Each team will receive two, 1-minute timeouts per half. Unused timeouts in the first half do not carry over to the second half. 9. There will be no overtime periods. If the game ends in a tie, it is a tie. 15
SIGNALS Signals are used during the game to tell everyone (coaches, players, fans, scorekeeper) what is going on. Here are some of the basic signals you will need to referee basketball. START CLOCK: Hold your hand straight up and when the ball is touched by a player on the court bring your hand down to tell the scorekeeper to start the clock. STOP CLOCK for Violation: Blow your whistle and hold your hand with an open palm above your head. Then say what the violation was and do the signal: Traveling, Double Dribble, Carry, or Out of Bounds. Then say what color gets the ball White Ball and point the direction. STOP CLOCK for Be Loud and Clear FOUL: Blow your whistle and hold your fist in the air above your head. Say the color of the team that fouled like WHITE FOUL, then drop your fist and hustle to the table. Tell the scorekeeper loudly the color and number of the player who fouled, WHITE 23 then indicate what they did, BLOCK, HOLD, PUSH, or HIT, and what you re doing next. TWO SHOTS or Ball out of Bounds 16
SIGNALS Continued TIMEOUT: A coach or player may call timeout ONLY when their team has POSSESSION of the ball. Blow your whistle with hand straight above head. Say TIME OUT and the team color WHITE Let the players go to their benches and then tell the table TIME OUT WHITE and give the signal for Full Time-out. Make sure to let the other coach know there was a timeout called. JUMPBALL: A jump ball occurs when two players from opposite teams hold onto the ball. Blow your whistle and give the signal for jump ball. The scorekeeper will tell you which team gets the ball under the alternating possession rule. VISIBLE COUNT: Visible counts are required on a throw-in from out of bounds and while the ball is in the backcourt. A violation occurs when the player does not release the ball with in 5-seconds on a throw-in, or when the player(s) with the ball does not cross half court within 10 seconds. 17
SIGNALS Continued TECHNICAL FOUL: A technical foul is given to a player or coach for unsportsmanlike behavior. Unsportsmanlike behavior can include: slamming the ball down to the ground, swearing, attacking you verbally, throwing their hands up in the air in disgust because of a call or no call. Blow your whistle and do the mechanic for a technical foul. Go to the table and report TECHNICAL FOUL ON WHITE COACH FOR UN- SPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOR You the one who called the technical foul- will then go get the ball and have the other team shoot two free throws. The team who shot the free throws will get possession of the ball at mid court across from the table. You have permission to use a technical foul when you need to. Don t worry that you re going to get in trouble. This tool is here for you to use to manage the game. Don t let players, fans, or coaches abuse you. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL: A 3-point field goal is scored when a player shoots from behind the 3-point line. When the player shoots the ball raise your hand to mark the 3. When the ball goes in bring both hands up above your head so the table knows it was a 3-pointer. 18
SIGNALS More Signals for you These are additional signals that will make you look even more official on the court. If you want to get better and be the best you can be learn them. 2 Thumbs up 19
FLOOR COVERAGE and POSITIONING It is important to be in the right position to see the play. The Lead (L) official is on the baseline while the Trail (T) official is on the opposite side of the court. When play goes to the opposite side of the court the trail official becomes the new lead and the lead official becomes the trail. If you are the new lead you need to be the first one to the baseline do not let the players beat you! Keep all players Boxed In that means all 10 players are between you and your partner. On a Throw-in stand on the outside of the player throwing the ball in. Meaning that you can see all of the other players including the thrower-in. LEAD is responsible for any activity in the key and their side of the 3-point line (shaded area above.) TRAIL is responsible for any activity on the perimeter. It is important to pay attention to the contact on the ball handler. 20
PART 2 - MANAGING THE GAME 21
MAKING CALLS Steps to being a credible referee: Blow your whistle! Raise your arm high above your head. Closed fist for Fouls and open fist for Violations. Blow your whistle LOUD! Verbalize loudly what the call is and do the mechanic. When a player gets hit call the Foul. When a game is close be loud and emphasize the call so everyone understands what was called. Blow your whistle! Don t be shy or quiet! Make sure to tell the score table the Color and Number of the player who committed the foul and the type of foul. Move, move, move. There is no standing in basketball. 22
WORKING WITH A PARTNER Come to the game mentally and physically ready. This show us that you are ready to work and that you want to keep the job. Demonstrate leadership. Lead by example and never talk down to or throw your partner under the bus. Work as a team player. When it is your turn to ref or score keep do it. don t try to get out of it. Make the calls you should make it s your job to manage the game, nobody else's. WORKING WITH PARENTS In youth basketball working with parents is something, as an official, you will have to deal with every game. It is important to remember that parents have a vested interest in the outcome of the game because their child is playing. However, it is important to keep your cool and not allow issues with parents to escalate. Remember, we want Jr. Jazz to be an enjoyable experience for all of the children who play. 23
WORKING WITH COACHES The most important tip for working with coaches can be explained in one word, COMMUNICATE!! If you are able to communicate with the coach throughout the game and explain your reasoning behind certain calls, this will keep the coach s mind on the game. It is important to check your emotions at the door. An official who is level headed and calm during heated situations will be ahead of the game and earn respect. 24
QUICK HITTERS WITH COACHES Coach, tell me what you saw? If that s how it happened, then I missed it. I hear you Coach, you need to let me work Coach, I had a good look. Acknowledge that you hear them ignoring them makes them frustrated. Answer questions not statements Let them have the last word 25
3 SKILLS TO HELP WORKING WITH PARENTS AND COACHES: 1. Presence: Be PROFESSIONAL. The more authoritative you look, the more accepting people will be. 2. Body Language: Always make eye contact and be in professional stance when addressing a coach s concern. If the parents observe you handling situation in a professional manner they will receive you with respect. 3. Voice: be firm in your voice but never talk down to anyone. Never retaliate to a parent or spectator. Your voice should be used as a tool to mediate and resolve conflict, not to magnify a problem. 26
PRE-GAME Arrive 10 minutes early for shift. Find the Site Supervisor and say hi! Ask what age group you are refereeing. Give your cell phone to the Site Supervisor. Find your other partners and talk about the specific rule differences. Determine who will score keep first game. 3 minutes before game time go say hi to both coaches. Once the score keeper has buzzed the horn it is your job to get the game started on time. Blow your whistle. POST-GAME Do not engage in conversation with Coaches after the game. Do not talk about the game within earshot of either coach. Be Professional Report any incidents to the site supervisor. Ask the scorekeeper if there was anything you could have done better. Rest up for the next game or trade with the scorekeeper and get rosters ready. 27
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