Anyone 15 years and older can train to be a referee.
Training involves both formal training (attending a Darebin Branch referee training school) and on-court training under supervision.
Our Referee Advisor and Senior Referee Coaches conduct referee training and development with the assistance of senior referees. The Referee Advisor and Referee Coaches conduct rolling referee grading and evaluations.
There is a referee dress code, code of conduct and a disciplinary policy which referees are required to be bound by when they join the referee community. Links to the policy documents are on the right.
ON-COURT TRAINING
You will be required to complete practical on-court training. This usually begins after about two weeks of the school. For our new junior referees, this training is generally at one of the member club’s home venues.
There is no set time for completing on-court training. It depends on the individual. However, we usually find that 10-15 games (i.e. 5 or 6 weeks) will see most trainees pass their practical assessment.
For your on-court training, you are required to wear plain black trousers, no stripes or logos etc. and a plain white t-shirt or Polo top with no logos etc. Your training will begin with running alongside a senior referee, learning positioning on the court and the signals required.
As you gain confidence and experience, your trainer will provide you with more opportunities to take more control on the court. Eventually, you will be on one end by yourself with a trainer assisting from the middle of the court. At all times, you will continue to have support from Referee Coaches.
ASSESSMENT AND GRADING
Referees are initially assessed through a robust evaluation process and then promoted to ‘trainee’ referees when they show an ability to be able to officiate games with minimal assistance from a trainer.
Once this phase has been successfully completed, the trainee referee will be assessed through a robust systematic process for grading as an apprentice. This should only take a few weeks for most.
The senior leadership team will be actively engaged with coaching, mentoring and training a new referee to obtain his/her “C” grade status.
This process involves a number of On-Court evaluations and an exam. This is a Victorian qualification and allows the referee to be acknowledged as a referee at any club in the state.
As a referee’s ability, experience and training accumulate, promotion to higher grades (and rates of pay) can follow depending on the individual referee and his/her desire to continue to develop.
COSTS
The cost for the Course is approx. $135. The amount will be confirmed before each course begins.
This fee covers:
- a rule book which includes FIBA Interpretations and Two Person Officiating guidebook.
- a good quality Basketball Referee’s whistle – a FOX 40 or FOX classic.
- first year’s registration fee to the Victorian State Referee’s Association (TOC)
- referee top (once C grade status is attained)
Related information
Scoring – including how-to-score guides
Working the clock (PDF)
Alternating possession (PDF)
External links
EDJBA guide for scorers (PDF)
Referee signals – excerpt from FIBA Rules (PDF)