I have been officiating basketball since 1979, and I have come up with a method that serves me well throughout the basketball season.

First and foremost, you have a contract when you agree to officiate a basketball game agreeing to provide services in exchange for a fee. Therefore, be diligent in fulfilling your part of the contract. Show up and to officiate the game, but showing up only scratches the surface.

Remember that people will treat you based on your demeanor and dress. When you dress professionally with slacks, dress shirt and dress shoes, and exude an “all-business” demeanor, you are approached quite differently than if you appear at a game in jeans and sneakers, and being overly familiar. In the former example, people think, “This official is professional.” In the latter example, people think less of an official.

Let’s get into the mechanics of officiating the game. Incidentally, I am not just talking about “game mechanics.” The moment you step onto the court, be “A.R.M.E.D.” 

The A stands for “Arithmetic.” Yes, there is some math in a basketball game. It begins with arriving on the court at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the game and counting the numbers of players. You do this to reconcile this number to the number of players that are actually entered in the official scorebook. And there is yet more math because you must ensure that there are no illegal numbers or double numbers. You also check the number of players that have jewelry and other illegal/unauthorized equipment.

The R stands for “Referee.” The referee spearheads the pre-game conference with the captains and coaches at a certain time depending on the state association or the referee. Do not make this a pro-forma meeting; make the meeting count. Be all business in this conference. I always like to use the following soliloquy: “Hello men/ladies, my name is Ed Incle, and these are my partners, (giving their full names) ; we are the officials for this game. You let us referee, and we will let you play. Do you have any questions on anything whatsoever? Have a great game.”

Some state associations require a prepared sportsmanship statement to be read or other requirements. But, remember the essence of the pre-game conference is to convey professionalism. I do not like to invoke humor in this meeting because I want to be “all business.” It is important that I convey this to the players. Some referees like to ask their partners if they have anything to add as long as it doesn’t prolong the meeting or undermine the referee’s authority as the one voice in the conference. It also opens the door for those who love to hear themselves talk. How many times have you deferred to the umpire out of respect only to hear, “O.K., folks, no jewelry, no hand-checking, please wait at the table until we beckon you,” and on and on? This is superfluous because the players already know this. The standing rule is that brevity is the order of the day.

M stands for “Meeting.” This is where you meet the coaches, shake their hands, and wish them good luck. This is not a time for small talk about the score of last night’s game. Nor is this the time for glad handing or back slapping because the perception of favoritism is hard to extinguish. Just look both coaches in the eye and wish them well. Again, be all business, because in a matter of moments, the coaches will likely start to ride you for a missed three-second call, or a missed ephemeral traveling call. When you are all business, it makes it easier to assess a technical foul if necessary.

E stands for “Executing the Jump Ball.” Nothing sends a weaker message than throwing an errant jump ball or after tossing, noticing that the jumpers are facing the wrong way. Don’t take this for granted. Your checklist at this stage is short: throw a high and straight ball and make sure they are facing the right basket. Also, don’t assume that there will be no violations. Violations such as moving around the restraining circle or coming onto the restraining circle happen more than officials actually call it. In addition, backcourt violations are commonplace during the jump ball as are jumpers tapping the ball more than twice or actually catching the jump ball. It is also not unusual to see the ball go out of bounds. Referees must be vigilant.

D stands for “Defense” as in “Referee the Defense.” You referee the defense when you are on a competitive matchup or when you are watching off the ball. On a try for a goal, you are watching rebounding action and positioning under the boards. When you referee the defense, you have the lion’s share of your officiating job done.

I like to keep everything in my life simple. A.R.M.E.D. is what I am when I approach every game. When I am A.R.M.E.D., everything else falls into place.