Beginner school information for participants and parents

If you’re reading this you’re probably considering going through our beginner school (or have been recently accepted through the interview process). This page is here to be upfront about what the school involves and what's expected of you. Please read all of it, and if the participant is under 18, a parent or guardian should read it too.

We'll give you the training, coaching and support to succeed. But passing the school isn't guaranteed, and it depends on meeting the expectations on this page.

Expectations

  • Refereeing is a great opportunity, but it isn't a role that suits everyone, and passing the school is not guaranteed. Progressing from Rookie to Apprentice and then C1 depends on meeting the National Curriculum competencies, and on meeting the expectations on this page: turning up, keeping your availability up to date, communicating, and applying the coaching you get.

    We care about the players, and every game deserves referees that are able to service it appropriately. We also care about our referees. If we progress you too quickly, then you will be in a compromised position. If it becomes clear the role isn't the right fit, we'd rather work through that with the referee than leave them carrying a responsibility that doesn't suit them as an apprentice or C1.

    Progress isn't always a straight line. Referees can be moved back a step during their training, and that's a coaching tool, not a failure. If we have concerns, we'll raise them directly with you!

  • To pass the school, you need to:

    • Complete the online theory

    • Attend the face-to-face theory sessions

    • Pass the online exam

    • Follow the referee handbook and meet all compliance requirements (see Accounts, forms and compliance below)

    • Pass the on-court competencies as per the Basketball Australia National Curriculum

  • You're eligible to pass once you've completed both the online and in-person theory sessions and successfully passed the exam, however the on court component is integral to progressing.

    There's no set timeline for being graded. During and after the school you'll be rostered on games as a Rookie. You'll start out running alongside an experienced referee and a referee coach, copying what they do and building the basics: whistle and hand up, getting to the right spots on court, clear signals and voice, and calling basic violations and obvious fouls.

    As those basics become consistent, you'll be trialled with more independence. Your partner gives you more space, and you start calling fouls and violations on your own without checking in first.

    Before you're graded to Apprentice, we want to see you handling this over multiple shifts without coaches needing to step in. Moving back and forward between stages is normal while a Rookie, especially between different divisions and competitions.

    After you work towards C1. How quickly this all happens depends on how often you're on court, how you apply feedback, and how you go with the expectations on this page.

  • There are common trends with those who progress more quickly through the course. On top of the requirements above, here's what you can do to perform your best:

    • Get involved in the theory sessions and ask plenty of questions

    • Get to shifts early to chat with the referee coaches and supervisors, and watch other referees on court

    • Keep your availability up to date in Refbook. The more open it is, the more opportunity we have to roster you with appropriate mentors on appropriate competitions, and sometimes even for more games

    • Check TeamApp regularly and reply to emails

    • Ask questions of your supervisors and referee coaches, especially after tougher games

    • Take feedback on board and apply it the next time you're on court, ask questions when you’re confused, don’t disregard

    • Sign up to RefHub and engage with your feedback there. Those who set goals in RefHub tend to hit them

    • Stay engaged every game, even the quiet ones. These can be some of the best to learn on and prove how well you can handle yourself!

    • Work with your mentor before, during and after games

  • TeamApp is our main communication channel. All referees will be invited to our team page. Keep notifications on, and check it regularly. We use it for announcements, roster notifications, session information, and messaging supervisors, coaches and other members.

    Email is for formal matters like questions about the program, your development, compliance and anything more sensitive. You can email me at referees@blackburnvikings.com.

    If you ever feel like you can't bring something to the program manager, that's completely okay. You can message any member of the Technical Officials Commission Subcommittee (TOCS) on TeamApp.

    Emails always go to the referee. For referees under 18, parents and guardians are always included too. We'd like referees to reply themselves wherever they can.

  • Saturdays: it's generally an expectation that referees can be at different venues in any given week. Games are played across Mullum Mullum Stadium, Slater Reserve and Blackburn Primary School, and you might be at one venue one week and another the next. Please factor this in when you enter your availability in Refbook, including how you'll get to each venue. If there are venues you can't get to, or other restrictions, let us know when you set your availability so we can roster you accordingly.

    DAAB: all DAAB games are held at Mullum Mullum Stadium.

    Affiliate clubs: if you're participating through an affiliate club (Yarra Eagles or Park Orchards), you'll be offered shifts both at your affiliate club's home venue and at Blackburn's home games throughout your progression of the course.

    Evaluations: most formal evaluations happen at Mullum Mullum Stadium, because of the standard of games there and the access to coaching. Being available for games at Mullum gives you the most opportunity to get feedback and progress.

  • As a Rookie the uniform is the same year round.

    • Plain White t-shirt

    • All black slacks/shorts

    • Primarily black shoes and socks

    Once you're graded to Apprentice you'll have a two week grace period from when you pass to meet our full uniform requirements. These are:

    • Shirt: the Apprentice shirt (a loaner) or the striped shirt that's provided by us

    • Bottoms: all black slacks, or all black shorts with no logos (shorts in summer only)

    • Shoes and socks: all black (all white is also permitted if you're wearing shorts during summer)

    If you have any concerns about meeting the uniform requirements, please reach out early.

Reimbursement, fees and compliance

  • Refereeing is considered a hobby, so referees are reimbursed per game. Here is a bit of what to expect as you get into refereeing. A full reimbursement rate breakdown can be found in TeamApp.

    Trainees: $0. We put a lot more into training our Rookies than we take in, through the referee coaches, mentors alongside you on shifts and hands on management of your development. So the games you do as a Rookie are not reimbursed.

    Once you're graded to Apprentice, you start being reimbursed per game. Current 2026 rates:

    • EDJBA: Apprentice $14 per game (U8 to U16) or $16 per game (U17 to U21), plus eligible bonuses depending on the competition

    • DAAB: Apprentice $20 per game. C1 $20 per game

    Reimbursement keeps scaling up as you progress through the grades. Rates can change from year to year, and they differ between competitions.

    To be reimbursed you need to have completed the Hobby Declaration form.

  • The $165 covers:

    • Education materials and presenters

    • Referee coaches, mentors and game-day support

    • Extra hands-on management throughout the Rookie and Apprentice period

    • Your whistle and lanyard

    • Your striped C grade shirt, plus hire of your Apprentice shirt

    • Your federation fee and insurance as a referee, which is your first BVTO licence

    • Room hire

    The course fee is non-refundable, including if a participant withdraws or doesn't progress through the school. By the time the course runs, most of the fee has already been spent (uniforms ordered, rooms booked, presenters and coaches arranged), so it can't be recovered.

  • Every account and form needs to be completed with the referee's own details (their own email address and phone number). Parents then have their own separate accounts on top of that:

    • TeamApp: the referee has their own account, and parents/guardians set up a separate account. Required.

    • Refbook: the referee has their own account. Parents can optionally link a separate account through a family group. This is optional for the parent.

    • Forms and compliance: Hobby Declaration, BVTO licence, Working With Children Check (18 and over) and Member Protection form (18 and over).

  • All technical officials assigned to games in Victoria must hold a current Basketball Victoria Technical Officials (BVTO) licence. Your first licence is included in the course fee. After that, it's paid every calendar year in the Payments section of Refbook, and paying before the calendar year starts means a lower fee.

  • Basketball Victoria and BVBA have a zero tolerance approach to child abuse and discrimination. Everyone involved in the program follows the Basketball Victoria Child Safeguarding Code of Conduct, and that includes referees who are in a position of authority over younger participants.

    In practice, this means communication with participants under 18 includes their parents or guardians. It also means the program only interacts with young people within basketball activities.

    If you have a concern about the safety or wellbeing of a young person, or about anything that doesn't feel right, please raise it. You can come to the program manager, our TOC Subcommittee, or see our child safety page for more information: https://www.blackburnvikings.com/child-safety

For Parents

  • We expect to be working primarily with your child, but there's plenty you can do in the background:

    • Encourage them to own their communication, availability and preparation

    • Help with getting to games. We know getting kids around the state on Saturdays can be tough, so please work with them on this and make sure they enter their availability in a way that allows you to get them around

    • Be a sounding board after games, and encourage them to ask their referee coaches, supervisors and manager questions

    • If you have concerns, reach out to the program manager directly and include your child on the email. We work primarily with the referee, so this keeps everyone on the same page. If it's something you need to raise without them, just say so at the top of your email.

  • Refereeing is a great opportunity for your child to build independence, so we'd like them to be the one running things. We do ask that you:

    • Set up your own TeamApp account, separate from your child's, and link it to theirs (you should receive an email about set-up when your child begins refereeing)

    • Keep an eye on emails you're included on

    Availability is managed by your child in Refbook, and they need to keep it up to date around their own games. If they need to work things around driving/family commitments, please work with them on it.

    You can also set up a parent Refbook account linked through a family group. This isn't essential, but it can help you keep track of their shifts. Here's how to set it up: https://support.refbook.software/portal/en-gb/kb/articles/family-grouping