Ball Side - The side of the court (when divided in the middle of the key from the baseline to the half-court line) on which the ball is located.

Best first look - The official in the crew who has primary defender responsibility AND the best angle AND has seen start, develop, finish on any given play.

Bigs - Post players.

Call - A foul or violation made by an official.

Call selection - Level of consistency between officials for the game regarding how plays are called and how we are judging physical play.

Center Official (C or Slot) - Officials positioned near the side-line, from the free-throw line extended, on the opposite side of the court as both the Trail and Lead.

Checklist - Small patterns or lists of items officials regularly follow to ensure proper application of rules, manage the game, and avoid errors.

Close Down - A position taken by the Lead near the baseline and edge of the key.

Competitive matchup - A defender actively guarding an opponent which requires the attention of the primary official. (If multiples, can be ranked; i.e. "1st matchup, 2nd matchup.)

Correct call - A foul or violation called by an official which is correct because of rule application, possession consequence, or game management.

Crew call - A call which utilizes information from two or members of the crew in order to get the play right.

Double whistle - When two officials blow their whistles to stop play due to a foul or violation.

Fifty-fifty call - A call (violation or foul) which could go either way. In general, a no-call is preferred over a fifty-fifty call.

Flow - How the game moves up and down the floor during live ball; the pulse or tempo of the game can be affected by our game management and whistle tempos.

Game management - Techniques used to control the game, including communication with bench personnel, enforcing timing regulations, all while encouraging a flow to exist in the game.

Incidental contact - Legal contact between opponents, often during physical play, in which neither opponents speed, balance, rhythm, or quickness (RSBQ) is negatively affected and has no negative affect on the play.

Lead Official (L) - Official positioned on the baseline.

Legal contact - Contact between opponents which does not violate any rules.

No-call - A foul or violation which may have occurred, but is not called due to correct possession consequence.

No-call incorrect - A call which is not made (or passed) which has a negative possession consequence and is an error by the official.

Open angle / Open look - Position by an official which allows the official to see space between the offensive and defensive players. This allows the official to properly judge contact, violations, fouls, and "see the whole play."

Opposite Side - The side of the court (when divided in the middle of the key from the baseline to the half-court line) opposite of your current location.

Physical play - A level of play, between opponents, which is of a high tempo, assertive, and during which legal and incidental contact occurs because player are making attempts to play the ball.

Pinch the Paint - see Close Down.

Play calling - How officials judge each play and apply rules from the start, develop, and through the finish of each play.

Points & Possessions - Play calling affects a team’s ability to score points or their ability to possess the ball. Anytime we are making calls or ruling, we need to be aware of how we are affecting points & possessions with the game. Points & possessions are what win games.

Position adjust - Movement by an official to improve, obtain, or maintain an open look or open angles between players so the play may be properly judged. "Move to maintain."

Possession consequence - Team control of the ball, the end result which may occur after a violation or foul. When the possession consequence (such as after a rebound) favors the team which may have been fouled, we must consider a no-call to allow the correct possession consequence to continue. Likewise, we want to apply fouls and violations to avoid incorrect possession consequences.

Post-game - Discussion among the crew (all officials) regarding the game contract and how it was executed.

Pre-game - Discussion among the crew (all officials) regarding the overall management and crew philosophies for the upcoming game: crew communication, rules, mechanics, special situations, etc. Pre-game is also called a "contract." Officials on the crew agree to certain philosophies and standards regarding how they will manage and referee the game. This "contract" is what the crew needs to execute during the game.

Primary defender - The defensive player for which a position (L, T, C) has primary responsibility to judge while refereeing the defense.

Primary match-up - The most competitive match-up, in an officials primary area, to which the officials attention becomes devoted.

Primary whistle tempo - A whistle blown by an official in their primary area (or primary defenders) to signal a foul or violation after the calling official sees the entire play: Start, develop, and finish.

Rough play - Illegal contact between opponents which exceeds physical play and incidental contact, does not make an attempt to play the ball, or is directly aimed at ones opponent.

RSBQ: rhythm, speed, balance, quickness - During play, judge each of these items to determine if a player was placed at a disadvantage by an opponent.

Secondary defender - A defender which is not an official’s primary responsibility, but may enter the play from another official’s primary.

Secondary whistle tempo - A whistle blown by a secondary official to signal a foul or violation after the calling officials has seen the entire play (start, develop, finish) AND recognized the primary official is unable to make the call (due to lack of information, poor angle, etc).

Slow to show - Officials should always be slow to give preliminary signals, ensuring eye contact and communication with their partners. Be especially slow to show your preliminary signals during a double whistle, as this could lead to officials simultaneously indicating different signals.

Straight-lined or Stacked - A poor position in which an official cannot see space between players, caused when the official is out of position and does not have an open look. Player are stacked, or in a straight line, and the official cannot referee the play.

Strong Side - The side of the court (when divided in the middle of the key from the baseline to the half-court line) on which both the Trail and Lead are located. Usually the side on which the play will finish.

Switch - Two officials change positions, usually caused by a foul being reported.

Table Side - Side of the court (when divided in the middle of the key from the baseline to the half-court line) where the table (timekeeper, scorekeeper) is locate.

Ten & two - An attempt by officials to keep all ten players and two partners within their peripheral vision at all times.

To and through - When a competitor makes contact with an opponent directly in the chest or torso displacing and causing the opponent’s SBRQ to be negatively impacted. (Often used to describe a block/charge.)

Trail Official (T) - Official positioned between the side-line and closest lane-line extended, near the 28-foot mark, opposite the Center and on the same side as the Lead.

Triple whistle - When all three officials blow their whistles to stop play.

Weak Side - The side of the court (when divided in the middle of the key from the baseline to the half-court line) on which the Center is located. Usually the side opposite where the play will finish.

Wide out/angle - Position of Lead to mirror the ball, sometimes as far away from the key as where the 3-point arch on the baseline.