Official (basketball)

In basketball, an official (usually called a referee) enforces the rules and maintains order in the game. The title of official also applies to the scorers and timekeepers, and other personnel that have an active task in maintaining the game. Basketball is regarded as among the most difficult sports to officiate due to the speed of play, complexity of rules, the case-specific interpretations of rules, and the instantaneous decision required.

There is one head referee and one or two umpires, depending on whether there is a two- or three-person crew. In the NBA, the head official is called the crew chief with one referee and one umpire. In FIBA-sanctioned play, two-person crews consist of a crew chief and an umpire, and three-person crews contain a crew chief and two umpires.

Regardless, both classes of officials have equal rights to control almost all aspects of the game. In most cases, the head official (in FIBA, the crew chief) performs the jump ball to begin the contest, though NFHS, NCAA, and the NBA, have allowed the referee to designate which official (referee or umpire; in the NBA: crew chief, referee, or umpire) shall perform the jump ball.

Uniforms

In American high school basketball, officials wear black-and-white-striped shirts with black side panels, black pants, and black shoes. Some state high school associations allow officials to wear grey shirts with black pin-stripes instead of black-and-white-striped shirts.