Seeing the Whole Play: What Players, Coaches, and Fans Should Know About Officiating Screens
A feature article in partnership with RefMasters
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In our first featured piece, NBA official James Williams breaks down a brief clip from the recent Timberwolves-Warriors series to explain what all goes into making an off-ball call.
If you’ve ever shouted, “That’s an illegal screen!” from the bench or the stands, this one’s for you.
We wrapped up a recent RefMasters University session with a play from Game 1 between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the surface, it looks simple—just a screen to free up a shooter on the wing. But beneath that simplicity is a moment packed with nuance, mechanics, and judgment.
Let me break this play down and offer three things every player, coach, and fan should know about how we officiate screens. My hope? That next time you see a screen like this, you'll see it a little differently.
1. The Ball Isn’t Always the Most Important Thing
Watch the clip again. You’ll notice the Trail official (the one on the top-right of the screen by the 28-foot mark) never follows the ball. That’s not a mistake, it’s elite officiating. They recognize the play is being run to get a shooter open. That means the most important thing happening isn’t the ball handler. It’s the screener and the defender.
Officiating isn’t about chasing the ball. It’s about anticipating action and putting your eyes where they matter most.
Takeaway for players and coaches: If a ref isn’t looking at the ball, it doesn’t mean they’re lost. It means they’re working ahead of the play. The best officials don’t react, they prepare.
2. Screens Are Legal… Until They’re Not
The screener in this play hands the ball off, and then—without ever really stopping—continues into the path of the trailing defender. That movement may seem minor, but it’s decisive. Why?
Because the defender is still engaged. He’s trying to recover and contest the shot. And the screener, by shifting into his path, removes that chance. That’s what makes it illegal.
It’s not about whether the screener was moving a little. It’s not about whether the shooter made the shot. It’s about displacement and impact on the play. Did the screener eliminate a defender’s ability to guard? If the answer is yes, it’s a foul.
3. Context Matters More Than You Think
In a vacuum, contact doesn’t tell the full story. Officials are trained to ask:
Was the screen legal by rule?
Did it create an advantage?
Was the defender trying to get through it?
In this play, it’s all there. The defender goes under. The screener slides into him. And it frees up the shooter. Clear as day. You’ll sometimes hear officials talk about plays being “black and white” or “gray.” This one? Black and white. No hesitation. Offensive foul.
But here’s the truth: most screens don’t live in that kind of clarity. They live in the gray. That’s why we don’t ref from the couch. That’s why we watch hundreds of clips. And that’s why we stay disciplined with our eyes and with our whistles.
Final Thought
I’ve worked hundreds of NBA games. I’ve seen incredible coaching, elite execution, and yes, some very creative attempts to draw fouls off screens. If you’re a player or coach, respecting the screen means learning how it’s judged. If you’re a fan, understanding these mechanics helps you see the game with a sharper eye.
This play wasn’t just a call—it was a lesson. And like I said during the session: “You can’t make black and white into gray just because it’s inconvenient. You’ve got to call what’s there.”
We’re not perfect. But when we get it right, it’s because we’re seeing the whole play—not just the ball.