Which of the following is the responsibility of the first referee?

• A. Whistling ball handling faults
• B. Accepting all line judge calls, even if the first referee sees differently
• C. Whistling all net faults
• D. All of the above

Answer: (A)

In officiating, the first referee’s on-court responsibility centers on decisions that directly control the flow of play, especially ball handling faults. These are calls about how the ball is touched by a player—things like double contacts, lifts, and carries—which can immediately end a rally or restart it. Because the first referee has the best view of the contact with the ball, whistling ball handling faults is a core duty.

Line judge calls are provided by the line judges and are not an exclusive duty of the first referee; the referee may use those inputs but can overrule if necessary. Net fault calls, too, are handled within the officiating team, and the question emphasizes the primary, direct on-court control of the first referee, which is calling ball handling faults.