BECOME A REFEREE

Wagga Basketball is always looking for referees.

Getting Started

If you are interested in becoming a referee, there are a few simple steps to get started.

Learn the Rules

Understanding the rules of basketball is the first step to becoming a referee.

You can download the 👉 BNSW 2024 Community Rulebook to begin familiarising yourself with the game.

Complete the Community Referee Course

All new referees are required to complete the free online Community Referee Course provided by Basketball NSW.

The course:

Is free to complete
Can be completed online at your own pace
Provides an introduction to basketball officiating
Includes an online exam and certificate

👉 REGISTER > for the course through Basketball Connect. If you are having problems, refer to the instructions on how to register.

Join the Referee Program

After completing the course:

Email a copy of your certificate along with a request to be added to the trainee list to technical@basketballwagga.net.au
You will be added to the referee trainee list
You will be invited to an introduction session
You will receive a green referee shirt and whistle
You will be supported by experienced referees as you begin officiating games

Our referee team will work with you to build your confidence and develop your skills on court.

If their Whistle is Green they are Under 18

Wagga Basketball expects that all referees are respected, however acknowledges that making more of an effort to behave appropriately around referees who are children is essential to their wellbeing. Unfortunately, we cannot tell if a referee is over or under the age of 18 just by looking at them or by judging their ability, so we have adopted a simple identifier- the Green Whistle.

We are very privileged to have very talented referees who just happen to be under the age of 18, similair to our talented athletes under the age of 18. Our responsibility is to ensure we protect our young people to safeguard the future success of our sport.

The large majority of our domestic competition referees are under the age of 18. Therefore it is inevitable that some of these children are being exposed and subject to negative behavior in an environment that is meant to be safe and supportive. Adults that lose perspective in a competitive environment can have harmful effects on the participants, specifically those who are under the age of 18.

Community sport relies heavily on referees under the age of 18 both from an economic and logistical point of view. If we relied on adults only to referee games, we would have to increase the cost to participants significantly. We also know that we don’t have access to enough adults to service the games we host each year.

Understanding that we rely on referees under the age of 18 to allow us to enjoy the sport we love means we have a strong responsibility to ensure they are protected and feel safe.