Referees gear up for spring intramural basketball season

Referees catch arguably the most heat of any occupation in the sporting world. You don’t need to look any further than last Saturday’s men’s basketball game between IU and Connecticut to prove that statement.\nDespite the public criticism, referees are professionals and necessary to the game of basketball and most other sports.\nFollowing the completion of a four-day program that ended on Jan. 16, 120 officials were unleashed upon IU’s Campus Recreational Sports intramural basketball leagues inside the School of Health, Physical Education and \nRecreation building.\nThe intensive four-day program began with a DVD explaining how to manage the game on the court as well as sportsmanship. The second day included a four station rotation where the future referees learned everything from basic positioning on the court to working under real \ngame conditions. \nOn days three and four, officials engaged in eight hours of practice games, where they were on the floor with experienced clinicians. Clinicians are officials brought in by local high schools, or are from IU’s Recreational \nSports staff. \nOliver Helfrich, a first-year official, said the training “wasn’t too bad. We learned the game and how \nto officiate.” \nAnother first-year official, Andrew Gibson, said “the hardest thing to learn is the difference between playing the game and reffing.”\n“You have to make calls when you see it,” Gibson said.\nHelfrich also said there may be a future in officiating for him following his work as an intramural official. \n“It’s a possibility,” Helfrich said. “It’s fun, but hard.” \nWhen asked if he could do better than the referees at last Saturday’s Hoosier game, Helfrich smirked and replied, “hopefully.” \nMost referees are not quick to dish out technical fouls, as many students assume. In fact, most officials said they would not call a technical unless it was an extremely unsportsmanlike, \nintense foul. \n“We will ‘T’ you up if you commit a very hard foul, swear at the ref, slam the ball or dunk the ball,” head official John Myers said. “Dunking (gets you) thrown out of the game and suspended for the game next week.”\nHead officials, like Myers, are employed by IU’s recreational sports program. These officials hold a higher level of responsibility than the \nother officials. \n“We supervise the games going on and have first aid kits in case of injury,” said Myers, who is in his second year as a head official.\nTwo officials monitor the courts and another checks teams in and assigns courts. \nMyers also added that he likes officiating “fast-paced games.”\nAs for last Saturday’s Hoosier game, Myers hopes someone puts in a good word for him with the Big Ten.\n“I could probably do better,” he said.