Referees Course
Positioning and Responsibilities
Officiating Techniques
• The eyes of the officials should constantly be
roving, trying to cover the whole floor, always
knowing where all ten players are located.
• Depending on the position of the ball, one
official must be looking at the action away from
it.
• Knowing where the ball is located is not the
same as watching the ball.
Officiating Techniques
Officiating Techniques
• There is no distinction between senior and junior
referees on the court.
• Younger or less experienced officials have just
as much authority to take decisions as their
veteran colleagues do!
Positioning of the Officials
The two referee positions in basketball:
• The LEAD official, who is in front of the play and
on the baseline.
• The TRAIL official, who follows the play up the
court.
• As the ball is turned over, the trail becomes
lead and the lead becomes trail.
Positioning of the Officials
The primary task of any official is:
• To locate themselves in the best possible
position in order to see the spaces between
the players.
• If there are no spaces, then there is contact.
• If there is contact, then a foul may be called.
Areas of Responsibility
• Modern officiating requires the two officials to
work in cooperation with each other.
• In order to achieve proper coverage, the two
officials should seek to obtain the best possible
position from which to judge the play.
• To simplify this, each half court has been
divided into rectangles (1 to 6).
Areas of Responsibility
Trail Official - Areas
Trail Official
• When the play is moving up the court, keep
slightly behind and about 3 to 5 metres away
and look for spaces between the players.
• You are responsible for the sideline to your left
and the centre line.
Trail Official
• If the ball is brought up the court on your far
right and the dribbler is closely guarded,
you must go over as far as it is necessary in
order to cover the player properly.
• Then you return to the normal trail position as
soon as the situation permits it.
Trail Official
Trail Official
• Whenever the ball penetrates towards the end
line or the basket on a shot, dribble or pass,
you must also penetrate to approximately the
free throw line.
• This will enable you to help out your partner!
Trail Official
Trail Official
• In transition from trail to lead, do not turn your
head away from the play and look downcourt.
• Keep your eyes on the play and the players at
all times by looking over your shoulder.
Trail Official
• When you are responsible for on ball coverage,
look for spaces in between the players.
Trail Official
Lead Official - Areas
Lead Official
• You should be ‘faster than the fastest’, which
means getting down the court as quickly as
possible and allowing the play to come towards
you.
• Always keep on the move.
• Strive for the best possible position.
Lead Official
• You are responsible for the end line and the
sideline to your left.
• Be ready to assist your partner with the three
point attempt in area 4.
Lead Official
• Try to take a ‘deep end line’ position (around
the netball line) to get the best possible angle.
• A wider angle means better vision and, in turn,
better decisions.
• To achieve this, you must always be on the
move.
Lead Official
• Always be ‘as wide as the play.’ Don’t stay
under the basket as you will not be able to get
the gap when the ball is wide in area 4.
• Always keep on the move.
Lead Official
Lead Official
• If there is a pressing defence in the back
court, you must go up the court and assist the
trail official with coverage of the play.
• In this instance, you should delay getting to
the baseline in order to help out your partner.
Lead Official
Practical Advice
• Always move when the ball moves.
• Look for spaces between the players.
• “Go where you need to go in order to see what
you need to see.”
• Being in the right position is 90% of the way to a
right call.
Switching - Fouls
• When a foul is called, the officials MAY
exchange their positions on the court.
• The official who calls the foul goes to trail-this
may mean returning to the same position on
court
• Note – for game speed – you don’t have to
switch on offensive fouls in the front court and
defensive fouls in the back court.
