The RoundBall Referee

Bailey Slusher and Jourdan Love are our guests. They are northern Indiana boys who have a deep love and passion for officiating. Bailey was featured in the April 2018 issue of Referee Magazine. The article tells of his pursuit of officiating while being wheelchair bound as a result of cerebral palsy. In this pursuit he doesn't go it alone. Jourdan is a trusted friend and together they support each other along the way. Jourdan is a young, talented official who broke into the D1 level this past year. In this episode he shares how it is he got in at such an early age.

Doug Shows is a veteran official having spent the last 25 years working at the Division 1 level. He works primarily in the SEC - the Southeastern Conference. This past Saturday he officiated the Arkansas vs. Auburn game. Doug has also been to the Final Four three times in the last seven years. He brings to our conversation a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. It was a wonderful privilege for me to have this conversation with him. And it’s a joy for me to bring it to you.

Liberty University men's basketball coach, Ritchie McKay, joins us to talk about the relationship between coaches and officials. From a coach's perspective, how should officials be prepared to officiate a game? From an officials perspective, how should a coach be managed in tough situations? Coach McKay has four observations to pass along to officials. They are: Coaches see the outcome of the game as a reflection of themselves. Officials need to come prepared. Officials must work together as a crew to communicate effectively. Coaches have long memories.

The game we love has quite a history. Chad Carlson uncovers some fascinating aspects of the game's early years. Did you know that in various parts of the country there were different rules for the traveling violation? In some leagues, double-dribbling was legal. Listen in on this enlightening conversation about the history shaping our game to become what it is today. Support show when you click to  BUY THE BOOK. Find the show on: Twitter FaceBook www.theroundballreferee.com

At the time of this episode upload, 5 of the Top 25 teams in men's NCAA D1 basketball are in the ACC. With teams like Duke and North Carolina, and 13 other outstanding basketball programs, Bryan Kersey has a very important job. He assigns all the officials for ACC. What does it take to get great refs for the upcoming schedule, all the while thinking about building for the future? With some of Division 1's top officials (Roger Ayers, Mike Eades, and Teddy Valentine) on his roster, Kersey loves his job. Let's connect via: Facebook Twitter Email

The RoundBall Referee returns for the 2017-2018 season with a confession and a word of encouragement. Borrowing from the title of Brené Brown's book Daring Greatly I pick up on the theme of what it means for me and this podcast to dare greatly, and doing so for those of us in our basketball officiating. At the end of the show I preview the conversation I had with next week's episode guest, Bryan Kersey (ACC supervisor of officials).

Mark Lindsay has been an NBA Referee for the past ten seasons. He recently took over as  the new director of the Proactive Referee Officiating Camp. The camp is held each summer in Philadelphia, PA. This is a premier camp to help you get to the next level. Mark came on to the show on May 23, 2017 to get the word out about the upcoming camp. But he also spent a lot of time discussing some very important aspects for improving your game as an official. Toward the end of the show he shared a great story of when he called a questionable foul on Golden State Warriors star, Draymond Green.

Go to CAMP!!! And don’t just take it from me. Mike Eades and Roger Ayers will tell you the same thing. Both of them have been selected to officiate the NCAA Division 1 Final Four in years past. Mike was selected most recently to work this year’s Final between Gonzaga and North Carolina. And together, Mike and Roger are putting on their own camp June 22-24, 2017 – The Referee’s Choice camp in Lynchburg, VA. (click LINK to see camp flyer) Also, if you haven’t seen THIS ARTICLE by Teddy Greenstein in the Chicago Tribune, you’ll want to check it out. Mike is featured along with Gene Steratore.   Juice Plus+ is a great way to ensure your body stays healthy in season and out of season. By taking daily I notice the difference in my knees. The nutrients in this product help build the muscle and tissue strength in my knees that kept me running up and down the court for yet another season. I highly recommend you consider what Juice Plus+ can do for your body. bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo  

When a team is purposely trying to foul as a strategy for winning, how do you distinguish between a common and an intentional foul? Long-time, veteran high school and college official, Nuf Perez, encountered this very question. He shares with us the end-of-game situation he and his crew recently had that became a first-time learning experience.   At the beginning of the show I share a personal story of how Juice Plus+ has made a huge difference helping me maintain my physical health during the course of a long season. The discovery of a torn meniscus in my left knee two seasons ago became a reality check in terms of how demanding reffing can be on the body. As a basketball official, your body needs  protection from the damaging effects of oxidative stress. What you put into your body (i.e. nutrition) can make all the difference in allowing you to perform at the highest levels. Juice Plus+ bridges the gap between the good things you’re putting into your body and the daily amount of nutrients your body needs. NUTRITION FOR YOUNG ATHLETES: Enhance Athletic Performance (video)  My wonderful wife, Melissa, is a representative of Juice Plus+. When you place an order from with her it greatly benefits her business, our family, and the production of this podcast. And I assure you, you will not be disappointed with the impact of this product on your physical health. bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo

J.D. Collins NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating joins us to discuss this year’s six areas of emphasis related to “freedom of movement.” They are: Hand checking/body bumping the ball-handler Screening Freedom of movement for cutters Offense-initiated contact on legal defenders Physical post play Rebounding For more information, check out these links: USA Today (November 30, 2016) – College Basketball Rules Will Again Emphasize Reducing Physicality USA Today (May 5, 2015) – J.D. Collins Named Coordinator of College Basketball Officiating For another great podcast interview with J.D., check out: 37 the Podcast – S2 Ep 18: J.D. Collins – Leading from NCAA Officiating and Conflict   bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo  

What does it take to officiate basketball at the highest level? For the guys who get there, what's it really like? Officiating insiders, like ourselves, ask these questions. When you sit down to watch a game on any sports network, you wonder: who's working that night, how'd they get to that point, what's demanded of them? Bob Katz, who has written for Sports Illustrated, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, and the New York Times, has written a book about the very thing we've so passionately committed ourselves: refereeing the game of basketball. The WhistlBlower: Rooting for the Ref in the High-Stakes World of College Basketball tells the story of officiating great, Ed Hightower.  It also tells our story, the one we live night-after-night, November through March. Bob has generously given the officiating community the gift of this book. And he has given us his time to share a bit more about his experience in writing the book and spending time with basketball officials. Click here to purchase The WhistleBlower You can also check out an article Bob recently wrote for the Boston Globe titled: "Why Fans Should See Like Refs". Email me: bryan@theroundballreferee.com Tweet me: @theroundballo www.theroundballreferee.com

If you want to become a great referee, you must develop great mechanics.  Freddy from myvirtualofficialsassociation.com joins me to talk about some of the common mechanic-errors officials make. He has come up with some catchy phrases to help you keep these good-mechanic practices in mind as you're refereeing a game.   theroundballreferee.com bryan@theroundballreferee.com

Joe DeRosa (Wikipedia) - former NBA official and current NCAA D1 official - joins us to talk about officiating apparel.  He's very well known for being one of two officials to have worked both the NBA Finals and the NCAA Final Four.  But he's also the man behind the "S" printed on the shirts we wear.  The "S" stands for Smitty Official's Apparel.  In our conversation, Joe tells the story of how he got this business started and what it has become today.  He also talks about the different styles of pants and shirts he and his company are putting on the market. If you're looking to purchase new official's apparel, Joe says that Smitty is being sold by a number of retailers throughout the country.  Currently, his two largest customers are Purchase Officials Supplies and Ump-Attire.   Thanks again for listening to The RoundBall Referee.  Be sure to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions for upcoming episodes. bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo

Rarely do we officials think about the significance of that piece of plastic we have sticking out of our mouths during  a basketball game.  It's just there - always there.  And if it's not, we're in big trouble. We call it a whistle.  And if you think about it for a moment you quickly realize this is the one piece of equipment we can't referee without.  You can ref a game with or without shoes.  Pants or shorts doesn't really matter.  Striped shirt, grey shirt, collar or no collar.  But no whistle...good luck; see how that goes for you. And, let's be honest, not all whistles are created equally.  If you want to be a great basketball official, you definitely want to have a great whistle to work with.  Ron Foxcroft, founder of Fox 40 International Inc.  joins me on today's show to talk about the whistle he created and why it's so revolutionary for officials in all major sports. In this episode Ron tells the story of how Fox40 came to be.  But I also highly recommend you check out the show: Million Dollar Genius (season 1, episode 1) on the History Channel. Also, check out this list of Ron's involvements, achievements and awards.  And this is only a part of the list... Chairman, & C.E.O. – Fluke Transport and Warehousing.  “If it’s on time…it’s a Fluke”, is more than a slogan – it’s a guarantee. Inventor of the Fox 40 Pealess Whistle which is now sold in 140 countries and is sanctioned by almost all major sports worldwide, including the NFL, CFL, NHL, NCAA, NBA, search & rescue and military professionals worldwide. Named by Referee Magazine as one of the 52 most influential people in Sports Officiating history. Fox 40 NCAA Whistle & Ron Foxcroft featured in the New York Times. Officiated over 1,600 International basketball games in over 30 countries, including the 1976 MONTREAL OLYMPICS, GOLD MEDAL BASKETBALL GAME. Officiated 4 NCAA Tournaments and advanced to the SWEET 16 Tournament in 1998. NBA Evaluator & Observer of Officials 2003 - 2016. First Canadian ever employed by the Basketball Operations Department of the NBA. 2010 - Only Canadian Named by NASO Top 30 Who Made a Difference in the World of Officiating. 2015 – Private audience with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. 2016 – Named Recipient of the Gold Whistle Award by the National Association of Sports Officials.  2016 – Named to the MAAC Honor Roll, awarded by the Metro Athletic Atlantic Conference in partnership with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

If you want to become a great official, listen to this episode, not once, not twice, but as many times as it takes to get this stuff right. So much of being a great basketball official is perfecting the details of your game. Positioning is all about details. If you get into the right spot, you'll dramatically increase your chances of making the right call. Lead - Center - Trail That's what it's all about. Today's guest is veteran official, Jeff Spedoske. He has worked for years on the high school, NCAA D2 and D3 levels. The past few years Jeff has been actively working as a D1 official.  And each summer he helps train and advise many officials as a clinician at summer camps. As you listen to Jeff talk about positioning you might feel like you're back at camp. By the time you're done listening you'll be ready to step out onto the court and put these tips, tools and suggestions into practice.  Get yourself ready to make the right call. www.theroundballreferee.com bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo

Do you ignore it? Enforce it? Love it? Hate it? NFHS Rule 3-5 will drive officials crazy. There's a lot to pay attention to.  And it seems that every year  slight changes are made. And that drives us all the more crazy. Fortunately for us, fellow official, Freddy Krieger, has studied the rule in depth and has found ways to teach this rule in a very understandable way. You may want to download the PDF or PPT presentation Freddy put together that will help you visualize the particulars he walks us through. This and more can be found at his website  www.myvirtualofficialsassociation.com. Contact me: bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo (Twitter) www.TheRoundballReferee.com

What does it take to become a D1 official? And once you're there, what does it take to stay there? Jim Schipper shares his story of how he's gotten to this level and how he's working to maintain this level of success. With 24 years of experience, he's the kind of guy less experienced officials want to hang out with.   In my conversation with him, he shares the knowledge and wisdom he's gathered from years of experience. Enjoy! bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo www.TheRoundballReferee.com

I am so excited to bring to you this conversation.  Darryl and I enjoyed our conversation over an early morning breakfast at a local restaurant.  As you listen, you'll find yourself right there at the table with us as we discuss basketball and officiating.  Our conversation has all the noises of the local diner mixed in with all sorts of reffing wisdom and insight Darryl brings to the game. Darryl was the recipient of the NFOA Awards 2014-2015 Boys Basketball Official of the Year.  He now lives in Michigan where he is the principal at Holland Christian High School.   You can connect with Darryl via Twitter - @DarrylDeRuiter Connect with me: bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo

Wrapping up Section 2: Officials and Their Duties this short episode goes through a few final  cases.  The NFHS Case Book 2015-2016 once again proves so helpful for officials needing to prepare themselves for critical game-time situations.  Reading the NFHS Rules Book is necessary.  But knowing how to apply those rules is where the rubber hits the road.   bryan@theroundballreferee.com @theroundballo

Like a game that is really challenging to officiate, this show was a real challenge putting together.  For the next 45 minutes I'm going to walk you through the 16 case plays in the NFHS Case Book 2015-2016 that deal with correctable errors.  Be prepared to work hard  and focus.  There's a lot to process.  If you can get to the point of knowing when a correctable error situation occurs and are able to determine what needs to happen you will be the better official for it. Learn this stuff.  Get it in your head.  Do whatever it takes to be the most prepared referee on the floor.