One of the topics we discuss during our crew\u2019s pre-game is the importance of refereeing the defense, or, in other words, making sure you are watching what the defense does during a competitive matchup, a drive to the basket, or a shot by the offense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But while watching high school games, and I watch my share of them, I must admit most high school officials do a poor job refereeing the defense. In fact, because of this, we end up penalizing the defense way too much when the defense hasn\u2019t broken the rules of basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We penalize defensive players during at least three play situations during competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first play situation is during a shot for goal by the offensive player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A veteran college basketball official once told me that the call we miss the most as basketball officials isn\u2019t the block\/charge play \u2013 it\u2019s the blocked shot play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too many high school officials do not allow defensive players to block shots. We blow the whistle when the defense gets a legal block up top and try to convince everyone a foul occurred down low with the body. This is nonsense. If a defensive player legally blocks a shot up top, then other contact by the defense should be ignored, unless that contact takes the offensive player to the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second play situation is when an offensive player drives the ball to the basket, becomes airborne, and attempts to shoot the ball. Too many times the defensive players guarding the airborne shooter are in legal guarding position and have established verticality, but still we whistle a contact foul on them when it was the offensive player who initiated the contact. Be careful that when the offensive player begins to move the ball around, while still in possession, and makes contact with defensive player\u2019s hands and arms, when those defensive players are legal, you don\u2019t whistle a foul on the defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third situation is during a competitive matchup while the offensive player is committing a dribble-drive down the floor or toward the basket. If the defensive player has established legal guarding position, meaning they have two feet on the floor while facing their offensive opponent, then that defensive player can move to maintain legal guarding position. Too many times in high school basketball we whistle a foul on a legal defensive player when that defensive player is only moving to maintain their legal guarding position. Often, if you are refereeing the defense, it is actually the offensive player who is initiating the contact on the way to the basket. Unless the defensive player loses their legal guarding position by stepping into and contacting the dribbler, then that defensive player is legal while guarding the offensive player from the beginning of the competitive matchup to the completion of the play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n