Basketball Referee Pants: Men’s, Women’s, Pleated, Slim Fit, Tapered, Adjustable Waist and with Belt Loops
You may have already searched basketball referee pants near me if you are in a pinch and need pants fast. I may not be able to help you with that, but I have done a lot of research in preparation for buying my own set of referee pants.
When researching men’s basketball referee pants there are 5 brands that are dominant in the space. Many of them are similar. The point isn’t to be original or individualistic. It is, of course, a uniform, and black referee pants are the standard. Now within the category, you may have some variations such as pleated, slim fit, flat front, sansabelt, tapered, adjustable waist, with belt loops, and those without. And, of course, men’s and women’s basketball pants will have different cuts.
The primary brands are highlighted below and supply good referee pants. Then we will go into detail on at least one pair from each brand. Some of these are available on Amazon and some have to be purchased directly from the manufacturer’s website.
Make sure and scroll to the end to see the most athletic NBA referee moves of all time.
Best Basketball Referee Pants
- Smitty
- Cliff Keen
- Honigs
- Adams
- Champro
Smitty Basketball Referee Pants
- Men’s Black Stretch Flat Front Pants
- Slash Pockets
- Lightweight 92% Poly, 8% Spandex
- 2 1/2″ Wide Grip Waistband
Smitty Pleated Basketball Referee Pants
- Athletic Fit Pleated Referee Pants
- Front Lay Slash Pockets.
- Smitty Comfort 3 inch Grip Waistband.
- 92% polyester, 8% spandex.
- Athletic cut
Cliff Keen Basketball Referee Pants
Honigs Basketball Referee Pants
Western style front pockets and 2 rear pockets, one with a button and flap. Extra-wide belt loops.
Champion Basketball Referee Pants
We know that a lot of people know and trust Champion as a quality option for anything sportswear related. But we couldn’t find any referee-specific pants on their website. If it has to be Champion then we found a pair linked below that may fit your referee needs and look good otherwise.
Nike Basketball Referee Pants
We couldn’t find any Nike brand black basketball referee pants. But if you have to be in Nike we found a couple of pair that may fit the referee dress code.
Nike Sportswear Tech Essentials
Sansabelt Referee Pants For Basketball
Sansabelt is technically a brand of men’s trousers. Their trademark is a wide webbed elastic band sewn into the waist, designed so you don’t have to wear a belt or suspenders. Get it sans (Spanish for without) a belt. If you are looking for Sansabelt pleated basketball referee pants these pants from CHAMPRO would meet that definition.
Basketball Referee Pants with Belt Loops
If you just don’t trust the banded waist on most referee pants you can go with a pair that have belt loops and wear a black built with them for extra security. Smitty makes a pair shown below on Amazon.
Smitty Polyester Flat Front Official’s Pants with Belt Loops
Basketball Referee Pants Slim Fit and Tapered
You will definitely be able to find flat front pants and perhaps tapered legs in one pant. But, referee gear is still not considered high fashion. I think these tapered referee pants from Smitty check both of the boxes. If you are looking for something that may pass as black basketball referee pants and are a little more fashion-forward Lululemon may be able to hook you up. Their Warpspeed fabric is a possibility as well. Keep in mind you will pay up for this kind of fashion but may be able to take your referee style off the court.
- Stretch Tapered Fit Flat Front Referee Pants
Stretch Basketball Referee Pants
You will find that all referee pants for basketball will have some built-in stretch material using some combination of Polyester, Dacron, and Spandex.
| Brand | Stretch Material |
| Smitty Men’s Basketball Flat Front Officials Pants | 100% Dacron Polyester. |
| Smitty Men’s Stretch Flat Front Tapered | 92% Polyester 8% Spandex |
| Cliff Keen | 100% STRETCH Polyester |
| Honig | 90% Polyester 10% Stretch Polyester |
| Adams Manufacturing | Polyester / Spandex Stretch Twill |
Adjustable Waist Basketball Referee Pants
Adjustable waist pants are a little more difficult to find. However, we did find this pair from Gerry Davis Sports. The Davis basketball pants have an adjustable waist that gives you 1.5″ of flexibility to fit your waistline (Ex: Size 34 pants can be adjusted down to about 32.5″ or up to about 35.5″). That could come in handy when you start losing those pounds from running up and down the court.
- Track-clamp feature lets you adjust your fit in just seconds
- Gripper interior waistband helps hold your shirt
How To Take Care of Your Referee Pants
Most pants are low maintenance and can be washed in cold water and tumbled dry briefly on low heat or hung up to hang dry.
Alterations
Many referee slacks have an unfinished length when you buy them. Most companies will hem them for an additional $12.00 – $15.00 charge or you can have your local tailor do it when you receive them. Please allow additional 5-7 days for hemming, even though in most cases it won’t take that long.
I love officiating because of the challenge. It is by far the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. Unfortunately, we miss plays every night, but the challenge of trying to be perfect and get every play right is why I love it so much. There is no better feeling than walking back into the locker room with your partners and knowing that we worked together as a team and that we gave everything we had for those 48 minutes.
Ed Malloy, NBA Referee
SayYesToOfficiating.com
Women’s Basketball Referee Pants
ADAMS USA Women’s Referee Basketball Pants
The reviews we read on these pants were a little tough on the fit. However, they were complementary on the materials. You may want to check out Jerry Davis as a good, albeit more expensive, alternative.
Smitty Women’s Basketball Flat Front Officials Pants
This pair had better reviews and has an athletic fit flat front referee pants with western cut pockets. They have a Smitty Comfort 3 inch grip waistband and are made of 100% Dacron Polyester with ComfortTECH100 Moisture Management Material. Other features include:
- Button Tab Closure.
- Button Loop on Left Back Pocket
- Heavy Duty Zipper.
- Unhemmed – 36 inch” Length.
NBA Referees Showing Off Their Athleticism
If you wonder why referee pants are built with stretch material check out this video that shows some of the most athletic plays by NBA referees.
Other Basketball Referee Gear
If you are looking to fill out your basketball referee uniform you can use the checklist below as a guideline.
- Black slacks
- Black belt (if pants are not beltless)
- Black and white striped shirt
- Fox 40 whistle
- Smitty or Lanyard
- Black court shoes
- Black socks
Basketball Referee Shoes
As a basketball referee you are going to spend a ton of time on your feet a good shoe is important.
Basketball Referee Shirts
Basketball referee shirts are still basically black and white striped. But the NBA does have some variations in different grey shades. Unless you are in the NBA you will want to stay with the old standard black and white stripes.
If you are looking for a full article on how to become a basketball referee click the link and start your journey as a referee. Normally the first step in becoming a high school level referee is through the NFHS. We linked to their official rule book below.
2021 NFHS Basketball Official Rules
This is the flagship official NFHS book that goes through the rules in detail by topic.
You can check out some of our posts on basketball rules such as traveling or charging.
Troy Wright
I am a lifetime basketball enthusiast and loved playing basketball competitively through high school. I still try and play at least 3 times a week and explore all kinds of equipment and training to keep myself on the court and continually getting better. I am a college basketball fanatic and move onto the NBA when March Madness ends.
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