INDIANAPOLIS— The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships announced that it will have one new regional advisor for the 2021-22 season.

The new advisor for the men will be William Kennedy [West Region], joining veterans Jim Burr [South Region], Ted Hillary [Midwest Region] and Frank Scagliotta [East Region]. Kennedy will operate from his home in Phoenix, Az.

Kennedy worked 16 NCAA Tournaments and five regionals in a career that saw him work games for many of the major conferences, including the Big 12, big Sky, Big West, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pac 12, Southland, Sun Belt and WAC. Kennedy served as a college basketball official for 25 years spanning from 1987-2012 and is replacing Tommy Nunez Sr. as the western regional advisor. 

“I am very excited to be welcome Bill Kennedy to our national officiating evaluation team,” said J.D. Collins, NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating.  “He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and passion to the program both as an official and an evaluator. The Men's Basketball Regional Advisors not only observe about 60-70 games in person and 40+ games via electronic media, but they chart every correct call for every official they watch.

“Their efforts behind the scene are an important part of the effort to bring consistency and accountability to men's basketball officiating, and are a vital role in identifying, selecting and advancing officials for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.”

This email and any attachments may contain NCAA confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by return email, delete this message and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized and may be illegal.

DI Officials:

The dates and locations for the 2021 NCAA Regional Officiating Clinics have been set. Remember to be eligible to work the 2022 DI NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you must attend a Regional Officiating Clinic. Due to the ongoing pandemic, clinicattendance will be restricted to Division I officials only.

To ensure all clinic information is available and shared with Division II and Division III officials,we will record the Indianapolis clinic and make it available following the clinic. The instructional video, mechanics video and any other videos we present will be posted on Arbiter immediately following the last clinic.

Registration for the upcoming Regional Clinics will open up in early August. Lodging and room rates will also be provided at this time. Please understand that changes to the format of the clinic may occur due to local and state Covid-19 restrictions.

*Note: The Men’s Coordinator of Officials meeting (Divisions I, II and III) will take place on Thursday, September 9 and Friday, September 10 in Indianapolis. DII and DIII Men’s Basketball Coordinators meetings will take place late Thursday afternoon with the DII meeting beginning at 4 p.m. ET and the DIII meeting beginning at 5:15 p.m. ET.

I look forward to seeing you at a regional clinic.

Please click the link to view Update on Uniform Patches.

The secretary-rules editor is the national interpreter for NCAA men’s basketball rules issues throughout the year, working with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee and the National Coordinators of Officials to ensure accurate communication of the playing rules while evaluating the future of the game. The new secretary-rules editor will shadow during the current secretary-rules editor’s his final year. The effective start date for this position is September 1, 2022.

To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume and list of references no later than June 25, 2021, to Andy Supergan via email at asupergan@ncaa.org. Hard copies of this information will not be accepted.

Click here for a full job description.

Please click the link to view NCAA Officials Health Dashboard.

Please click the link to view NCAA to Change the Number of Officials Selected to the 2021 MBB Championship.

2020-21 NCAA Men's Basketball Preseason Training Video 1 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 29 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab and the Eligibility Dashboard link.

Officials:

As we begin this unprecedented season, I want to share some important items with you. First and foremost, as you go through the season please protect the health and safety of yourself and your family! Please also approach the season with a mindset to protect the student-athletes, coaches and fellow officials. Being flexible and nimble will produce the best results and be good for the game.
 

Reminders:

1.  Use of “L” shaped benches:
Art Hyland, Secretary-Rules Editor, issued an interpretation document on 11/16/20 that described the use of “L” shaped benches for social distancing of bench personnel. In that document he says: “Also, when a team elects to have an “L” shaped bench area, the head coach may move to the area behind the end line to communicate with bench personnel but otherwise may not stand in that area to view the game or communicate with players and officials on the court. Violations of this rule may be penalized by assessing a Class A technical foul.”

Do NOT allow coaches to “coach on the floor activities” from the baseline area. Issue a Class A technical if coaches violate this interpretation. Nationally, we must be on the same page on this issue.

2.  In my discussions with TV producers and talent, I have been informed that the talent will likely be distanced from the floor approximately 25 feet. This will make it difficult to communicate with the talent after a monitor review. In addition, a higher percentage of TV talent will be broadcasting games from a remote location. In that regard, it is imperative that officials share with the Timeout Coordinator (TOC) the reason for the review and the result of the review. Doing this will allow the talent to present a more accurate reflection of the rulings on the floor to the TV audience.

Mechanics Adjustments:

1.  Art Hyland, Secretary-Rules Editor, issued an interpretation document on 10/28/20 making it permissible to have the Scorer’s and Timer’s table on the opposite side of the court from the team bench area.

The 2020-21 Mechanics Manual states in Section 15 Procedure when calling a foul, Article 1 Guidelines, a. “the official who calls the foul will move opposite the table, …”

However, during the 2020-21 season, if the Scorer’s and Timer’s table is on the opposite side of the team benches, the calling official will: “Report the foul to the Scorer’s Table and move opposite the team benches (staying table side).”

This will put officials opposite the team benches and reduce the time required to be near the coaches in the center position. Please make note of this change.

2.  When the Scorer’s and Timer’s table is on the opposite side of the court from the team bench area, during pregame warm-ups officials will stand on table side facing the team bench area. This will put officials opposite the team benches and reduce the time required to be near the coaches and players.

3.  When the Scorer’s and Timer’s table is on the opposite side of the court from the team bench area, during timeouts, the non-administering officials will continue to face the team benches to monitor substitutions. Officials should have an awareness of the table crew as they may need assistance during timeouts.

4.  When the Scorer’s and Timer’s table is on the opposite side of the court from the team bench area, during replay reviews, the official who is not at the replay monitor should be facing the team benches to monitor activity and to ensure that no substitution takes place.

Directive to reduce physicality:

With all of the changes to our normal operating procedures, it would be easy to forget the need to reduce physicality to create freedom of movement. It is vitally important that we properly enforce the directive to reduce physicality this season.  

Page 40 of the CCA Mechanics Manual describes the 2020-21 directive to reduce physicality.  Please review this section and discuss in your pre-games. We must start the season with these directives in mind and hold the line throughout the season, conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament.

Things will continue be changed as a result of the circumstances in our world; we must be flexible and nimble and adjust as needed.

Thank you for your dedication and perseverance. I wish each of you a safe, healthy and successful season.  More than ever before, this is a season where “riding for the brand” and supporting your fellow officials will be critical.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Best regards,



J.D. Collins
NCAA National Coordinator
Men’s Basketball Officiating

Please click the link to read Guidance and Considerations for Men’s and Women’s Basketball Officiating, which is intended as a resource to provide guidance for member schools and conferences in all divisions on the topic of basketball officiating.

To all NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Officials:

Following much discussion, the Division III Men’s Basketball Committee has approved an adjustment to the timeline for Division III Men’s Basketball Officials. This adjustment will open up a second window for DIII Officials to register on Arbiter as an NCAA Official, complete the officiating exam and consent to a background check.

The second window for NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Officials begins on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 9 a.m. ET on, and will close on Friday, December 18, 2020 at 5 p.m. ET.

The committee made this decision in light of the uncertainty surrounding the Division III Men’s Basketball season. As it currently stands, the majority of Division III Men’s Basketball competition will not start earlier than January 2021.

Additionally, officials that want to register on Arbiter as an NCAA Official, complete the officiating exam and consent to a background check now may do so as long as they complete it by the original deadline of Monday, November 2, 2020, at 5 p.m. ET.

Best regards,

Jim Haney
NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball National Coordinator of Officials

I pray that you are healthy and safe. This off-season has certainly been unique. I hope you have had a good summer.  It is that time of year when we begin our preparation for the upcoming season.

Please click on the link to review the changes in the Fall Regional Officiating Clinics format.

Please click the link to view Delayed Implementation of Selected Playing Rules Changes.

To all officials and coordinators:

No NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament?

Now what?

I’m sure we are all feeling the same after the NCAA cancelled all winter and spring championships yesterday.  While this is a difficult time, I am extremely grateful for the outstanding officiating that was provided for the student-athletes, coaches and fans this season.  Thank you and well done!

We are all disappointed and yet an abundance of caution is necessary at this time.  Use the extra time to reflect on your season, celebrate the “great calls”, evaluate the “misses” and begin to process toward the 2020-21 season.

Most importantly, I want to personally thank each of you for all you do, the impact that you have on the game and for how you represent officiating.

For your planning purposes, here is information on the 2020 Regional Clinics:

With gratitude,

J.D. Collins
jdcollins@ncaa.org
765-748-1776

2019-20 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 11 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 31 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab. After reading all information, click the Eligibility Center link.

2019-20 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 10 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 31 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab. After reading all information, click the Eligibility Center link.

2019-20 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 9 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 31 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab. After reading all information, click the Eligibility Center link.

2019-20 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 8 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 31 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab. After reading all information, click the Eligibility Center link.

Officials:

Please find attached a letter from the Chairs of the Oversight Committee, Competition Committee and Rules Committee.  They represent many of the stakeholders of the game.  The letter is a summary of the stats from the beginning of the season as well as a challenge to the officiating community to reduce physicality.

We are calling the directive to reduce physicality, but not to an acceptable level or to a level consistent with years past.

Please read this letter, accept the challenge and tighten up on calling obvious physicality fouls consistently.

Best regards,

J.D. Collins
NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating

2019-20 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 5 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 31 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab. After reading all information, click the Eligibility Center link.

2019-20 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 3 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 31 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab. After reading all information, click the Eligibility Center link.

2019-20 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 1 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 31 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab. After reading all information, click the Eligibility Center link.

Please click the link to view Behind the scenes with an officiating crew who worked Duke-Kansas (TheAthletic.com, Nov. 7, 2019).

Click the link below to be directed to this year’s sports wagering educational video for officials.  The video is approximately 20 minutes in length and includes sports wagering information with which you should be familiar. 

PLEASE NOTE: The video is an eligibility requirement for Division I officials, but it should be viewed by officials in every division.

Eligibility Center

Best regards,

J.D. Collins
NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating

NCAA Officials: 

This document was developed as part of the NCAA’s continued review of its risk management program.  Please note that this document summarizes information that may render an official ineligible to officiate any rounds of any of the NCAA championships.   

Also, please note that one or more of the components of the “Notifications and Determinations” section may not be in place until the 2020-21 academic year. 

Best regards,

Dan Calandro
NCAA, Director of Championships and Alliances

Registration for the 2019 Regional Clinics is now open.  Please remember the email you use to sign up for the Regional Clinics, and then use the same one to register on the NCAA Men's Basketball central hub when registration opens on Tuesday, August 27. If you use a different email address, you will not receive credit in your Eligibility Center.

The dates, location and deadline for the NCAA room rates are listed below. Remember to be eligible to work the 2020 DI NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you must attend a Regional Officiating Clinic.

Please register for the upcoming Regional Clinics by clicking HERE.

^Lodging for the Indianapolis clinic will be at the Fairfield Marriott.

*Note: The Men’s Coordinator of Officials meeting (Divisions I, II and III) will take place on Friday, September 6 in Indianapolis.

I look forward to seeing you at a regional clinic.

J.D. Collins
NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating

Please click the link to view the New 2019-20 Men's College Basketball officiating shirt and warm-up jacket memo.

To view 2018-19 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 17 (Non-Eligibility), please click the VIDEOS Tab.  Since this video is not required for eligibility, you will not receive a certificate of completion.

To view 2018-19 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 15 (Non-Eligibility), please click the VIDEOS Tab.  Since this video is not required for eligibility, you will not receive a certificate of completion.

To view 2018-19 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 13 (Non-Eligibility), please click the VIDEOS Tab.  Since this video is not required for eligibility, you will not receive a certificate of completion.

Please click the link to view the NCAA Men’s Basketball Direction of the Game Update.

We hope you will join with us to support the fight against cancer.  By making a pledge to donate any portion of your game fees that you officiate for the week of January 21—27, 2019, you will help further our efforts to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. 

This campaign is being run in conjunction and support of “Suits and Sneakers” night, a project put on in association with “Coaches vs. Cancer” - a cause cosponsored by the NABC and The American Cancer Society.

Please click here for more information.

2018-19 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 9 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 25 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

2018-19 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 7 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 25 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

2018-19 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 5 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 25 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

2018-19 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 3 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 25 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

2018-19 NCAA Men's Basketball In-Season Training Video 1 (Eligibility Requirement) is now available.  Training videos are required for officials who wish to work postseason assignments.  The video will close on Friday, January 25 at 5 pm Eastern Time.

To view the video, click the ELIGIBILITY Tab. After reading all information, click the Eligibility Center link.

Please click here to view Frequently Asked Questions on Uniforms and Contest Delays (Men’s and Women’s Basketball – 2018-19).

DI Officials:

Registration for the 2018 Regional Clinics is now open.  Please remember the email you use to sign up for the Regional Clinics, and then use the same one to register on the NCAA Men's Basketball central hub when registration opens on August 27. If you use a different email address, you will not receive credit in your Eligibility Center.

The dates, location and deadline for the NCAA room rates are listed below. Remember to be eligible to work the 2019 DI NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you must attend a Regional Officiating Clinic.

Please register for the upcoming Regional Clinics by clicking HERE.

^Lodging for the Indianapolis clinic will be at the Fairfield Marriott.

*Note: The Men’s Coordinator of Officials meeting (Divisions I, II and III) will take place on Friday, September 7 in Indianapolis.

I look forward to seeing you at a regional clinic.

J.D. Collins
NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating

Please click the link to view Summer Teaching Points - Mechanics Memorandum.