4.6 Lead official - practical advice
1. You must get down the playing court as quickly as possible, allowing the play to
come towards you. Always keep on the move. Strive for the best possible position.
Always know where the ball is, even when you are primarily watching the play
away from the ball.
2. You are responsible for the endline and the sideline to your left. Be prepared to
help with twenty-four (24) second clock situations.
3. Be ready to assist your partner with three-point field goal attempts, particularly
when the ball is near rectangle 4.
Always establish eye contact with your partner.
4. Pay particular attention to the post play and the amount of physical contact you
will tolerate. Any rough play is your responsibility and you should penalise it.
Recognise whether or not the player is trying to move into a new position or is
being illegally prevented from doing so by an opponent.
5. Try to take a deep endline position (2 metres if possible) to get the best possible
angle. A wider angle means better vision and, in turn, better decisions. To achieve
this, you must always be on the move. Penetrate to the basket when the ball is
dribbled from rectangle 4 to 5 to 6. See the ‘start’ and ‘end’ of the drive.
6. At the end of playing time for a period or extra period, do not indicate whether the
field goal shall count or not. This is the primary responsibility of the trail official.
7. Avoid penalising incidental contact that does not affect the play, especially when a
player drives to the basket and scores. Similarly, do not call an offensive foul
because a defensive player puts on a theatrical display and falls to the floor.
Calls should be restricted to contact which has a direct effect on the play (unless
they are unsportsmanlike).
8. When your partner looks for assistance on an out-of-bounds play, be prepared to
give it immediately. Establish the method of communication for such situations
during your pre-game conference.
9. In the event of a pressing defence when three (3) or more defensive players are in
their opponents backcourt, you must assist the trail official with his coverage of
the play.
In this situation, delay your progress up the playing court in order to help.
"Go where you need to go in order to see what you need to see