Greetings everyone:

Enough with this weather!  I can never remember a winter that has been so disruptive to travel plans.  You are to be commended for the extraordinary efforts you are making to get to games.  Remember, your personal safety is important to all of us.  Make prudent decisions about travel, and please give your coordinators as much lead time as you can when you encounter problems.

Here are a few thoughts I want to share with you:
 
1.  We are doing a pretty good job on 10-1-4.  I did have a coach tell me that referees are still telling him " I don't know what is or isn't a foul any more".  If you honestly feel that way, please review the last 11 Video Bulletins.  In each one of them there are concrete, non ambiguous examples of fouls according to rule 10-1-4.  Merely "touching" a player with the ball has never been a foul but "keeping" a forearm on a ball handler, "putting" two hands on a dribbler, "continually" jabbing, and "using" an arm bar to impede ARE fouls.
 
2.  We simply have to do a better job keeping coaches, who are trying to coach their teams, off the floor.  I think a review of 10-4-2-f on page 95 of the Rule Book might be in order.  While you are reading the Rule Book, please review Appendix III, Section 1, a., 1-5 on page 104.  No warning is required if a coach is either inside or outside of the coaches box engaging in egregious conduct as outlined in Appendix III.
 
3.  Two comments about Video Bulletin 11 which was just posted on the officiating and coaches web site.  There is no such thing as offensive goaltending.  My thanks to Kevin Hetherington for pointing that out to me.  Also, on the Flagrant Foul play, my point was that the announcer called it an "intentional foul".  That was the "bad call".  The officials correctly called it a Flagrant I foul.  That was the "good call".
 
4. General clean up items:  Is there any way we can speed up the player replacement process following a disqualification?  It's a 20 second period to comply, not an additional 60 second time out.  Is it possible to prevent every free throw from turning into a testosterone filled pushing and shoving match?  While we do a very good job policing incidents of taunting between players, I have noticed an increase in players from opposing teams going out of their way to taunt bench players and occasionally  even opposing coaches.  I know you can't see everything but try to stop this type of play before it escalates into a real problem.
 
Keep fighting the good fight.  There are 64 days left in this season and I encourage you to keep working on improving all aspects of your game.  It is surprising how much you can learn from self evaluation.  If you do that, it will be good for the game.
 
Sincerely,

John W. Adams
NCAA National Men's Basketball Officiating Coordinator
 

Good afternoon,

I am passing along this announcement/request from the American Cancer Society.  PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR COORDINATORS TO SEE IF IT'S OK WITH THEM TO WEAR A PINK WHISTLE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 25.

All collegiate basketball officials (Divisions I, II and III) are encouraged to wear their pink whistles on Saturday, January 25th, in support of the Officials vs. Cancer campaign that runs concurrently with the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign.  Since the inception of the campaign, officials have donated more than $800K to the American Cancer Society.  Officials that would like to make a donation to the annual campaign are encouraged to do so by mailing their donation to:  IAABO, Inc., P.O. Box 355, Carlisle, PA  17013.  Please make all checks and money orders payable to:  Officials vs. Cancer. 

John W. Adams
NCAA National Men's Basketball Officiating Coordinator
 

Please click here to view the clarification of the men's basketball uniform rule.

 
Please click the links below to view the November 13, 2013 rules interpretations/clarifications and case plays documents.

Rules Interpretations and Clarifications

Rules Interpretations, Clarifications and Case Plays

To view the presentation, please click below: