IAABO 175

11/15/2023

Nothing like looking at block charge plays to get ready for the season

In today's "Five Play Friday" episode, we dive deep into a series of plays that highlight both the brilliance and areas of improvement for our officiating cr...

11/07/2023

Pass and crash, always a tough play and a great pre-game topic with your partner

Welcome back, fellow referees, to another exciting episode of "5 Play Friday" on "A Better Official"! In this week's episode of "5 Play Friday" we dissect in...

11/01/2023

Very good 5 play Friday.

Interesting discussion on how to handle an out of bounds call when everyone in the gym thinks you got it wrong

Welcome back, fellow referees, to another exciting episode of "5 Play Friday" on "A Better Official"! 🎉 This week, we've got a fantastic lineup of plays and...

08/31/2023

As summer draws to a close, basketball officials preparation ramps up. Sept 5 @ 7PM Al Battista presents on Zoom.

Al Battista is prolific and always offers very practical advise.

Register below.

Next Upcoming Event 5 September 2023 Self Reflection – Al Battista, Bd. 12 DC EVENT DETAIL 00 days 00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds

08/30/2023

Rule changes for this season (NFHS):

Changes to 4-8-1 is huge!

NFHS Rule Changes 2023 -2024
2-1-3 NOTE (NEW): Requires the shot clock operator to sit at the scorer’s and timer’s table, if using a shot clock.

Rationale: Establishes the placement of the shot clock operator for those states utilizing the shot clock and the growing use of video boards that allow tablet control from anywhere in the gym.

3-4-5: Requires uniform bottoms on teammates to be like-colored while allowing different styles of uniform bottoms among teammates.

Rationale: Clarifies that teammates must all wear like-colored uniform bottoms but may wear multiple styles while aligning language with other NFHS rules codes.

3-5-6: Allows undershirts worn under visiting team jerseys to be black or a single solid color similar to the torso of the jersey. All teammates wearing undershirts must wear the same solid color.

Rationale: Allows schools with hard-to-find colors to wear black under visiting team jerseys while continuing to require all team members to match.

4-8-1: Eliminates the one-and-one for common fouls beginning with the seventh team foul in the half and establishes the bonus as two free throws awarded for a common foul beginning with the team’s fifth foul in each quarter and resets the fouls at the end of each quarter.

Rationale: Improves flow by providing an opportunity for teams to adjust their play by not carrying over fouls from quarters 1 and 3 to quarters 2 and 4 while significantly reducing the opportunity for correctable errors to occur. Minimizes risk of injury by eliminating the one-and-one and reducing opportunities for rough play during rebounding opportunities.

7-5-2 thru 4: Establishes four throw-in spots (the nearest 28-foot mark along each sideline or the nearest spot 3-feet outside the lane line on the end line) when a team gains or retains possession in their frontcourt after the opponent commits a violation, a common foul prior to the bonus, or the ball becomes dead (i.e. inadvertent whistle or a held ball).

Rationale: Simplifies throw-in procedure when a team gains or retains possession for situations other than an out-of-bounds throw-in.

7-6-6: Allows the official administering a throw-in to the wrong team to correct the mistake before the first dead ball after the ball becomes live unless there is a change of possession.

Rationale: Allows for a correction of an official's mistake in a more reasonable timeframe.

9-3-3: Establishes that a player may step out of bounds without penalty unless they are the first player to touch the ball after returning to the court or if they left the court to avoid a violation.

Rationale: Allows a player to step out of bounds if they gain no advantage and penalizes a team only if they gain an advantage by leaving the court and returning to avoid a violation or to be the first to touch the ball.

08/25/2023

Interested in becoming a basketball official?

Take the online course and complete by Oct 30 and work with IAABO 175 on floor mechanics.

Register for the online course at

06/22/2023

08/15/2022

Are you, or anyone you know, interested in becoming a Basketball Official?

We are back from COVID-19 and ready to begin training new basketball officials starting on Tuesday, September 6th, 2022. This is a mandatory meeting for all cadet applicants starting at 7:00pm (SHARP) at the MetroWest Boys & Girls Club, 169 Pleasant Street, Marlborough, MA 01752. Enter through the front door, take the stairs to the 2nd floor and we will meet in the first classroom on the left.

Advance registration is required. Please send email to Terry Irish: [email protected] to register.

2022 Class dates: Sep 6, 13, 20, 27 and Oct 4, 11, 18, 25 (all Tuesday evenings).

07/28/2022

Thank you for the post Terry Irish

Dave Kahm knows there are folks out there who are interested in officiating.

10/28/2021

A1 shoots and scores. The net is disfigured and as the ball passes thru the bottom and is propelled back towards the division line. The officials (and most players) do not recognize the ball went thru the net.

B2 picks up the ball, transitions into the front court, and is then fouled by A2.

The officials confer and determine the ball did pass thru the net and score the goal. The officials determine the foul on B2 stands and resume play a the spot nearest the foul.

Was the official correct?

10/13/2021

Was going thru some old refresher exams getting ready for the season and came across this from 2017:

A1s throw in is deflected by B-1, A-2, who is airborne from his/her frontcourt, catches the ball and lands in the backcourt. The official rules a legal play. Is the Official correct ?

Pretty good question. What do you think?

09/30/2021

Free thrower A-1 fakes the release of the ball. The fake does not cause any opponent to commit a violation. The official charges A-1 with a violation. Is the official correct?