Do you think you know basketball? Do you think you know it well enough to take the court as an NBA or NCAA referee and accurately make the really tough calls? Well, here’s your chance to prove how much you really know about the history and rules of one of the world’s most popular sports.You Be the Basketball Ref is designed to inform, challenge, and entertain basketball fans. A brief introduction to the history of basketball is followed by an overview of NBA and NCAA matters. Topics range from situations that typically come up in games—traveling and shot clock violations, for example—to rules that are just a bit more unusual or, for the casual fan, more obscure. Then quiz yourself on what call you would make in each scenario!

Not merely a quiz book, You Be the Basketball Ref has several purposes beyond merely testing your knowledge of basketball rules. Other goals include informing you (e.g., did you know that through 2012 there are 13 referees enshrined in the Hall of Fame including Earl Strom and Marvin “Mendy” Rudolph?) and entertaining you along the way.

Many of the situations in You Be the Basketball Ref come from real games, but some scenarios are made up to illustrate specific points or rules. So don your stripes, grab your whistle, and take your position on the court. After all, you’re the ref!