Reprinted with permission of the National Federation of State High School Associations.  This material is not to be resold or remarketed.

  RULE 2     OFFICIALS AND THEIR DUTIES

SECTION 1     GAME OFFICIALS

   ART.1...The officials shall be a referee and an umpire or a referee and two umpires who shall be assisted by two timers and by two scorers.  A single timer and a single scorer may be used if they are trained personnel acceptable to the referee.

NOTE:  The official's uniform shall be a black-and-white striped shirt and black pants.

   ART.2...The scorer's and timers shall be located at the scorer's and timer's table on the side of the court.  It is recommended that the scorer and timer be seated next to each other.

SECTION 2     OFFICIAL'S  JURISDICTION 

   ART. 1...The officials shall make decisions for infractions of the rules committed within or outside the boundary lines.  The use of any replay or television monitoring equipment by the officials in making any decision relating to the game is prohibited.

   ART.2...The official's jurisdiction, prior to the game, begins when they arrive on the floor.  The official's arrival on the floor shall be at least 15 minutes before the scheduled starting time of the game.

   ART.3...The official's jurisdiction extends through periods when the game may be momentarily stopped for any reason.

   ART.4...The jurisdiction of the officials' is terminated and the final score has been approved when all officials leave the visual confines of the playing area.

SECTION 3     REFEREE'S AUTHORITY

   The referee shall make decisions on any points not specifically covered in the rules.

SECTION 4     REFEREE'S PREGAME DUTIES

   The referee shall:

   ART.1...Inspect and approve all equipment, including court, baskets, ball, backboards, and timers' and scorers' signals.

   ART.2...Designate the official timepiece and official timer prior to the scheduled starting time of the game.

   ART.3...Designate the official scorebook and official scorer prior to the scheduled starting time of the game.

   ART.4...Be responsible for having each team notified three minutes before each half is to begin.

   ART.5...Prior to each contest, the head coach shall verify that his/her team member's uniforms and equipment are legal and will be worn properly, and that all participants will exhibit proper sporting behavior throughout the contest.

SECTION 5     REFEREE'S DUTIES DURING THE GAME

   The referee shall:

   ART.1...Toss the ball in the center restraining circle for all jump-ball situations.

   ART.2...Administer the alternating-possession throw-in to start the second, third and fourth quarters.

   ART.3...Decide whether a goal shall count if the official's disagree.

   ART.4...May declare the game a forfeit when conditions warrant.

   ART.5...Decide matters upon which the timers and scorers disagree and correct obvious timing errors.

   ART.6...Confer with the scorer at halftime to determine the possession arrow is pointed in the proper direction to begin play in the third quarter.

   ART.7...Check and approve the score at the end of each half.

SECTION 6     OFFICIAL'S AUTHORITY

   No official has the authority to set aside or question decisions made by the other official(s) within the limits of their respective outlined duties.

SECTION 7     OFFICIAL'S GENERAL DUTIES

   The officials shall conduct the game in accordance with the rules.  This includes:

   ART.1...Notifying the captains when play is about to begin at the start of the game.

   ART.2...Putting the ball in play.

   ART.3...Determining when the ball becomes dead.

   ART.4...Prohibiting practice during a dead ball, except between halves.

   ART.5...Administering penalties.

   ART.6...Granting tme-out.

   ART.7...Beckoning substitutes to enter the court.

   ART.8...Signaling a three-point goal by raising two arms extended overhead.

   ART.9...Silently and visibly counting seconds to administer the throw-in (7-6), free-throw (8-4; 9-1-3), backcourt (9-8) and closely guarded (9-10) rules.

   ART.10...Report a team warning for delay to the scorer and then to the coach.

SECTION 8     OFFICIAL'S ADDITIONAL DUTIES

   The official shall:

   ART.1...Penalize unsporting conduct by any player, coach, substitute, team attendant or follower.

   NOTE:  The home management or game committee is ersponsible for spectator behavior, insofar as it can reasonably be expected to control the spectators.  The officials may call fouls on either team if its supporters act in such a way as to interfere with the proper conduct of the game.  Discretion must be used in calling such fouls, however, lest a team be unjustly penalized.

   ART.2...Penalize and disqualify the offender if flagrant misconduct occurs.

   ART.3...Remove a player from the game who commits his/her fifth foul (personal and technical).

   ART.4...Notify the coach and then notify the player on a disqualification.

   ART.5...Determine when a player is apparently unconscious.  The player may not return to play in the game without written authorization from a physician.

SECTION 9     SIGNALS

   ART.1...When a foul occurs, an official shall signal the timer to stop the clock.  The official shall designate the offender to the scorers and indicate with finger(s) the number of free throws.

   ART.2...When a team is entitled to a throw-in, an official shall clearly signal:

a.  The act which caused the ball to become dead.

b.  The throw-in spot unless it follows a successful goal or an awarded goal.

c.  The team entitled to the throw-in.

   ART.3...If the throw-in team does not make a player available, the official shall place the ball on the floor.  The official shall hand or bounce the ball to the thrower for a throw-in unless the throw-in is from outside an end line following a successful goal.

SECTION 10     CORRECTABLE ERRORS

   ART.1...Officials may correct an error if a rule is inadvertantly set aside and results in:

a.  Failure to award a merited free throw.

b.  Awarding an unmerited free throw.

c.  Permitting a wrong player to attempt a free throw.

d.  Attempting a free throw at the wrong basket.

e.  Erroneously counting or canceling a score.

   ART.2...In order to correct any of the officials' errors listed in Article 1, such error must be recognized by an official during the first dead ball after the clock has properly started.

   ART.3...If in Article 1e the error is made while the clock is running and the ball dead, it must be recognized by an official before the second live ball.

   ART.4...If the eror is a free throw by the wrong player or at the wrong basket, or the awarding of an unmerited free throw, the free throw and the activity during it, other than unsporting, flagrant, intentional or technical fouls, shall be canceled.

   ART.5...Points scored, consumed time and additional activity, which may occur prior to the recognition of an error, shall not be nullified.  Errors because of free-throw attempts by the wrong player or at the wrong basket shall be corrected by applying 8-1 and 2.

   ART.6...If an error is corrected, play shall be resumed from the point at which it was interrupted to rectify the error, unless it involves awarding a merited free throw(s) and there has been no change of team possession since the error was made, in which case play shall resume as after any free-throw attempt(s).

SECTION 11     SCORERS' DUTIES

   The scorers shall:

   ART.1...Keep a record of the names and numbers of players who are to start the game and of all substitutes who enter the game.

   NOTE:  It is recommended the team member's number be entered into the scorebook in numerical order.

   ART.2...Notify the nearer official when there is an infraction of the rules pertaining to submission of the roster, substitutions or number of players.

   ART.3...Signal the officials by using the game horn or a sounding device unlike that used by the referee and umpire(s).  This may be used immediately if, or as soon as, the ball is dead or in control of the offending team.

   ART.4...Record the field goals made, the free throws made and missed, and keep a running summary of the points scored.

   ART.5...Record the personal and technical fouls called on each player and notify an official immediately when the fifth foul (personal and technical) is charged to any player, the second technical is charged to any team member, bench personnel, or directly to the head coach, or the third technical foul is charged to the head coach.

   ART.6...Record the time-out information charged to each team (who and when) and notify a team and its coach, through an official, whenever that team is granted its final alloted charged time-out.

   ART.7...Record the jump balls for alternating-possession procedure and be responsible for the possession arrow.

   ART.8...Record the number of warnings in the official scorebook, as in Rule 4-46.

   ART.9...Signal the nearer official each time a team is granted a time-out in excess of the allotted number.

   ART.10...Signal in each half when a player commits a common foul beginning with his/her team's seventh and 10th foul.

   ART.11...Compare their records after each goal, each foul, each charged time-out, and end of each quarter and extra period, notifying the referee at once of any descrepancy.  If the mistake cannot be found, the referee shall accept the record of the official scorebook, unless he/she has knowledge which permits him/her to decide otherwise.  If the descrepancy is in the score and the mistake is not resolved, the referee shall accept the progressive team totals of the official scorebook.  A bookkeeping mistake may be corrected at any time until the referee approves the final score.  The scorebook of the home team shall be the official book, unless the referee rules otherwise.  The official scorebook shall remain at the scorers' table throughout the game, including all intermissions.

   NOTE 1:  The rules committee strongly recommends that the official scorer wear a black-and-white striped garment and that his/her location be clearly marked.

   NOTE 2:  The procedure if a player who has committed his/her fifth foul continues to play because the scorers have failed to notify the official is as follows:  As soon as the scorers discover the irregularity, they should sound the game horn after, or as soon as, the ball is in control of the offending team or is dead.  The disqualified player must be removed immediately.  Any points which may have been scored while such player was illegally in the game are counted.  If other aspects of the error are correctable, the procedure to be followed is included among duties of the officials.

SECTION 12     TIMERS' DUTIES

   The timer shall:

   ART.1...Note when each half is to start and shall notify the referee more than three minutes before this time so the referee may notify the teams, or cause them to be notified, at least three minutes before the half is to start.

   ART.2...Signal the scorers three minutes before the starting time.

   ART.3...Be provided with a clock to be used for timing quarters, extra periods and intermissions, and a stopwatch for timing time-outs.  The clock shall be operated by one of the timers.  The clock and stopwatch shall be placed so that they may be seen by both timers.  The clock shall be started or stop as prescribed in Rule 5-8, 10.

   ART.4...Sound a warning signal 15 seconds before the expiration of an intermission or a 60-second charged time-out and at 20 seconds of a 30-second time-out, immediately after which the players shall prepare to be ready to resume play, and signal again at the end of the intermission or time-out.

   ART.5...Sound the signal at the end of 30 seconds for replacing a disqualified or injured player, or for a player directed to leave the game.

   ART.6...Stop the clock at the expiration of time for each quarter or extra period, and when an official signals time-out, as in 5-8.  For an intermission or a charged time-out, start the stopwatch and signal the referee as outlined in Article 5.

   ART.7...Indicate by signal the expiration of playing time in each quarter or extra period.  The signal terminates player activity.  If a supplementary red light is used, the timers' signal is the official expiration of playing time.

SECTION 13     TIMERS', SUBSTITUTES AND EQUIPMENT

   If the timers' signal fails to sound, or is not heard, the timers shall go onto the court or use other means to immediately notify the referee.  If in the meantime, a goal has been made or a foul has occurred, the referee shall consult the timers:

   ART.1...If the timers agree that time expired before the ball was in flight, the goal shall not count.

   ART.2...If the timers agree that the quarter or extra period ended, as in 5-6-3 before the foul occurred, the foul shall be disregarded, unless it was intentional or flagrant.

   ART.3...If the timers disagree, the goal shall count and/or the foul shall be penalized, unless the referee has knowledge which alters such ruling.