Note: don’t get me wrong, everyone involved appreciates the time and the service you render, but you need to know some things moving forward that you overlook for whatever reason. And trust that I know what I am talking about because I am an expert on the subject.

Church basketball (even at its highest level) is a completely different game than anything that you ref and can not be called the same way.

There are more than a few reasons for this.

1.  The skill level is extremely different.  When you are officiating the young men you have to understand a few things.  The skill level is as low as it has ever been.  Plenty of the players have no idea how to play or even any concept of where to be on the floor both offensively and defensively.  Most teams can’t even play a basic zone defense.  When calling a game for the men it is more of a mixed bag.  You still have a few guys that can play at a mildly high level.  Then throw in the guys who used to be good but have lost a step or two (or five) and the guys who could just never play but still end up on the floor.  because of this , the pace of the game is much different from you are used to. Very rarely is there any kind of flow so you can’t force it to happen.

2.  The temperament of the players is very different than in organized ball.  There isn’t a coach that holds players accountable for their actions.  Normally in high school and college a player will do their best to follow their coach’s instructions on the floor and team rules.  Because of that, most players don’t freak out (that is reserved for the coaches).  That isn’t the case in church ball.  It doesn’t have the structure necessary for some players to actually want to listen to the coach.  It is worse with the men.  Most teams don’t have a coach let alone someone who is even in-charge.  Because of that, there isn’t much accountability and players get after the refs much, much more.   Not just the players, but the fans as well; and they can be ruthless.  If you don’t have thick skin and some understanding then you will have a very hard time.

Now that you fully understand what you are dealing with there are some things that you must do differently to make sure your games go smoothly.

You cannot, I repeat cannot let fouls go for the sake of advantage or impact.  If you do that you will find yourself in a world of trouble.  Chances are the contact will only continue to increase and the intensity of the game will as well.  The reason for this is because players at this level look for any advantage that they can get.  If they get fouled and it isn’t called then they think that they can do the same thing on the other end of the floor.  If they get slapped (without a call), they will slap; if they get bumped, (W/O A C) They will bump; if they get hit, (W/O A C) they will hit.  Most players don’t understand what you are trying to do when you let this stuff go.  They JUST THINK YOU ARE A TERRIBLE OFFICIAL WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO DO!!!.  When the contact escalates without so much as a foul many of these players get angry and that leads to trash talk and sometimes even flagrant fouls or fights.

If you wonder why this happens in church ball, it’s partly your fault.  You let things build up because you didn’t blow your whistle for the sake of flow or advantage.

When officiating a church ball game, you must call fouls when they occur (even if it doesn’t have an effect on the play).  I know this is a foreign concept to you, but it has to be done.  After all, it is a different game and needs to be called as such.  If you do this, your experience will be much better.  You still might have minor scuffles and scraps but things won’t get out of hand and the games will go more smoothly.

P.S:  If you are wondering what makes me a so-called expert on this subject let me just say that I have been involved in church sports on every level for the last 20 years so I have had plenty of experience with it.  As a player and as a partner to one of these very skilled officials.