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This is a document that has been posted on several different basketball discussion forums. It describes 29 different situations in which the rules seem to be misunderstood by most fans and, unfortunately, by many referees. Some of these situations will not concern you as a first year official since there is very little chance of having to call basket interference or goaltending during a middle school game.
Most Misunderstood Basketball Rules
There are three books that you will receive with your paid dues. They are the Rules Book, Case Book and the Officials Manual.
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The Rules Book is like a reference book and not like a novel so you will find it complicated and difficult to wade through initially. Rule 4, Definitions, would be a good place to start reading rather than at the beginning.
The Case Book is a supplement to the Rules Book. It describes specific play situations and lists the applicable rule(s) and what the correct ruling should be if the situation occurs in one of your games. Many of the situations list multiple options and multiple rulings so they can seem complicated at times. You may want to skip over to Rule 4 in this book as well.
The Officials Manual describes the set of mechanics that you as an official should follow when officiating a game. It describes where you should position yourself on the court, how to report violations and fouls and numerous other things. As a first year official mostly officiating middle school games, you will only need to be concerned about the court coverage for two officials. The second half of the book that describes the court coverage for three officials is not important at this time.