Becoming a Referee

Refereeing provides you with an opportunity to be rewarded for your commitment to the game, engage at times that suit your work or lifestyle, be physically active, meet new people, make new friends and share many great experiences.

Referees develop many skills which are transferable into everyday life such as confidence, decision making, communication, conflict resolution, time management and teamwork. As you can see below, refereeing is a journey that can take you to the Rapid League, Tauihi League, NZNBL, ANBL, International Competitions and the Olympics!!

If you are interested in becoming a referee, please complete the Registration form below.

Referees / Officials Registration Form

The average age of a trainee is 14 years old. Harbour Basketball run beginner courses throughout the year. We are currently developing several courses that have an online theory component and an on-court component where the trainee is supported by a mentor.

Once a referee is successful in their trainee courses they are considered a ‘C’ Grade referee. Most ‘C’ referees remain at this level for 6-12 months depending on their confidence and execution. They will primarily referee Primary and Intermediate School competitions

Once they move on to a ‘B’ Grade referee they are more likely to officiate senior games of basketball. 

B Grade referees are introduced to Regional Age group Representative Level games and North Harbour Secondary School Competitions.

During the next year or two and if they show an aptitude for officiating, they will be identified for an ‘A’ grade school.

An ‘A’ Grade school is run by a senior local educator and will further educate referees in the following areas: Mechanics, Presentation, Calling of the Game, Communication and Technical Control.  Receiving your ‘A’ grade is the highest honour an official can receive from their local association.

After officiating the strongest competition locally, a referee can determine if they would like to continue their journey to National Championship Tournaments. This is a significant commitment and is based on both the ability of the referee and their professionalism.  Selection to National Championships are made by the BBNZ Selection Panel.

To become a Level 1 referee, the local association will nominate their most talented referees who are committed to becoming an elite referee.  Part of this commitment is to be assessed by Basketball New Zealand. BBNZ will open Expressions of Interest for various National Tournaments throughout the year. Referees are encouraged to self-nominate. BBNZ then seek Harbour Basketball’s endorsement of Referees from our association.

While still under development, It is currently a minimum requirement to be a Level 2 referee to attend U20 National Championships.

While still under development, It is currently a minimum requirement to be a Level 3 referee to referee Rapid League NBL games which is a very high honour.

While still under development, It is currently a minimum requirement to be a Level  referee to referee Tauihi and NBL games which is an extremely high honour.

Referees can be nominated by Basketball New Zeland to be selected by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to referee internationally in competitions such as the Olympics and World Championships.  These referees are awarded their Level 5 accreditation.