SO YOU WANT TO BE A REFEREE?

Some of our mostly frequently asked questions answered for you.

Q. Who can train to be a Referee?
A. Anyone 14 years and older

Q. What does the training involve?
A. First a School, of 4 to 5 sessions each of 2 hours, followed by on court training

Q. Where and when does the school take place?
A. The Schools are run twice a year and are held at Doncaster Leed St on a Sunday afternoon from 6pm to 8 pm.

Q. What does the school involve? 
A. The school is run on a fun classroom format. You will need to take pen and paper and be prepared to be involved in some lively classroom activities.

Q. How much does it cost to become a referee? 
A. You will have to purchase a rule book on attending your first session at the School. This will set you back around $20.00. As to the cost of the training the Ivanhoe Basketball Club will pay for you to attend the school and for your on court training, for which we ask for you to prioritize your reefing with the club, but more about that later. 

Q. How do referees get practical experience? 
A. Once you have finished at the school you will be required to complete practical on-court training. For juniors this training usually takes place at the Ivanhoe stadiums – The SPACE centre or at Banksia - for Senior Referees training is at Doncaster as adults are required to referee adult games in order to gain adequate experience.

Q. How long does it usually take before Referees are qualified / experienced enough to 
take games on their own with just the other (more senior) Ref?
A. Answering that question is a bit like answering the question “how long is a piece of string”. Let me just say – AS LONG AS IT TAKES – everyone is different, however having said that, we usually find 5-6 sessions of 2-3 games each will see most trainees pass their practical assessment.

Q. What is involved in the practical training and what do I need / wear?
A. Let’s answer the second part first. For your on-court training you are required to wear plain black trousers, no stripes or logos etc and a plain white or plain black Tshirt or Polo top, no logos etc. You will need a GOOD whistle – a FOX 40 or FOX classic which will cost in the region of $12. DO NOT buy a cheap whistle as you won’t get the sound required. Your training will begin with running alongside a senior referee learning positioning on the court and signals required. As you gain confidence and experience, your trainer will allow you to take over more and more of the game officiating.

Q. Who carries out the practical assessments and what is the Grading system for Referees?
A. Referees are initially assessed by our referees Supervisor and are promoted to “Apprentice” referee when they are showing ability to be able to officiate games with minimal assistance from a trainer. Once the Supervisor sees that this phase has been successfully completed the Referees Advisor will then assess them for grading as a Junior or as a C grade referee.

Q. Who oversees our referee training /development?
A. Referee training and development is carried out by our Referee Supervisor, with the assistance from Senior referees at the club. Referee grading is carried out by the Referees Advisor.

Q. Are referees usually rostered on for 'home' games?
A. Once qualified, referees are rostered for games either at the SPACE centre or at Banksia, except for the Finals Series when you may be required to attend other venues.

Q. How many games do Refs usually take in a session?
A. Referees are usually rostered for 2 to 4 games in any one session.

Q. How does the Referee rostering system work? What if I am also a player or coach?
A. Referees are required to advise, at the beginning of each season, the teams in which they play or coach and any other commitments which will affect their availability. The roster is then put together taking all of these issues into account. It is also necessary to advise of any team commitments of your immediate relatives eg. team which parent coaches, team in which brother or sister plays. It is ideal that you do not referee these teams and you are not permitted to referee these teams in finals.

Q. Once I am qualified as a referee where do I buy my Uniform? 
A. Referees striped tops are available from Bulleen Stadium shop and from Albert Park Stadium - MSAC.

Q. How are the Referees paid?
A. Referees are paid, by the venue supervisor, at the end of each refereeing session. Training referees do not get paid, Apprentice referees are paid a small sum.

Q. How do referees become more highly qualified?
A. Referees can improve their grading by attending a referee upgrade school.

Q. Do referees need to be registered?-who pays the fee?
A. Yes referees require annual registration – this covers insurance and support required. At Ivanhoe, referee registration is paid by the Ivanhoe Basketball Club however, as with referee training expense there is an obligation to prioritize commitments to referee for the Ivanhoe Basketball Club on a Saturday.

Q. Am I permitted to referee games in another league?
A. You are permitted to referee in another league eg. Midweek BUT you must gain permission from our Referees Supervisor before you do so, and again you have an obligation to prioritize your commitments to referee for the Ivanhoe Basketball Club on a Saturday.

Q. Is there anything else that I should know?
A. There is a referees dress code and code of conduct which will be advised when you begin your training sessions at Ivanhoe.