Referee Beginner School

BUILD SKILLS. Make friends. EARN MONEY.

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Everything you need to start refereeing, all in one place. From your first day on court to earning your stripes and beyond, you'll have the support to become the best referee you can be.

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Refereeing is a pathway that gives something different to everyone who does it. Here are some of the reasons our refs get out on court every week:

  • Get paid to watch basketball. You get the best seat in the house, and you're paid for it. On top of this, the better you get, the better the games you referee.

  • Fit it around your own game. Saturday refereeing slots in around your own games, so you can play and ref on the same day.

  • Stay fit. Running games on court is a great way to maintain your fitness, and you get paid for it.

  • Find your people. Our referee group is a genuine community. You'll meet friendly faces and enjoy heading out on court with your mates.

  • Learn the rules properly. Nothing teaches you the rulebook like having to make decisions with it. Being a ref can make you a better player and a better coach too.

WHY BECOME A REFEREE?

Skills that go beyond refereeing

Refereeing is a great first role because the skills you build help you wherever you go.

  • Communication. You learn to give clear, confident, calm messages in a noisy, fast-moving environment.

  • Time management. You'll be organising your weekends, turning up prepared and on time, and balancing refereeing with study, work and your own sport.

  • Conflict management. You learn to stay composed under pressure, handle disagreement respectfully, and make decisions that not everyone will love.

  • Confidence and decision making. Making calls in real time builds a level of self-belief that's hard to find anywhere else.

Everything you need to start. Everything you need to keep growing.

  • We don't just teach you the rules. We teach you how to find them, understand them and apply them yourself, so you can keep learning long after the course ends.

  • Strong mechanics, signals and core concepts are what everything else builds on. We make sure you have them right from day one.

  • Improvement doesn't stop when the theory ends. On average, one in every six of your games is coached, so you get regular, specific feedback as you go.

How the school works

Each beginner school has multiple components to help make sure you get the development you need.

01
On-line theory modules and exam

Work through the Basketball Australia national curriculum online, at your own pace. Then test your knowledge with the exam.

02
In-person theroy and practical

We run 3 in-person sessions that bring you through all the fundamentals you need to get started. From day 1 you start applying your knowledge and get out on court.

03
On-court practical

Each session that you come in you will have supervisors and coaches who are helping you apply the concepts you have learnt on court.

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Inside the in-person sessions

Every session has a focus.

Session 1: Introduction to refereeing and mechanics. How we move on court, and how that movement helps us see the game clearly.

Session 2: Violations and signals. How we present ourselves as officials, and the violations we call.

Session 3: Foul calling. How to recognise, decide on and communicate fouls.

Every session includes time in the classroom to cover content, and then we go out on court as you learn with the DAAB competition.

Interested?

Go here to learn more specifically about our beginner schools and what the requirements are.

Learn the requirements

Coaching that follows you on court

You won't be left to figure it out alone. Our referees one written feedback form in every six games they referee. This means you get regular, specific feedback while you learn.

Starting out, you'll also always have a more experienced referee alongside you to teach you and to look out for you on court. As you improve, we gradually take the training wheels off.

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SMALL INTAKES, MORE FOCUS.

SMALL INTAKES, MORE FOCUS.

We keep every intake small on purpose. We never take on more referees than we need, which means that you can get out on court more often for our coaches and mentors to work closely with you. With these small intakes we’re able to tailor the development so it works for you. You're never one face in a crowd.

How quickly will I progress?

It's one of the most common questions we get: how long until I'm a C1?

The honest answer is that it depends on a few factors. We base progression purely on competency, not time served. Some people move through quickly and others take longer, and that's completely fine.

We love having a variety of people in our referee group, and we work with you to find what works. We also need to make sure everyone is looked after, both on court and as individuals. For that reason, we don't guarantee a particular timeline, and we don't guarantee that everyone will pass the course. Refereeing isn't for everyone, and that's okay.

A few things can affect how you progress:

  • Your ability and current knowledge of the game and its rules

  • Your availability as you move through the school

  • Your engagement with the course materials, your development, and your coaches

  • Your effort on court

For more information on how you can set yourself up to progress through our courses, have a look at our course information page below.

Learn more

Once you’re graded: C1

As a C1 referee, you can work across our competitions:

  • Saturdays: EDJBA competition

  • Thursdays: DAAB competition

  • Friday nights: opportunities in the Eastern District Basketball League (EDL)

  • Throughout the year: local tournaments and other events

C1 is just the start. To see where you can go from there, including C2, C3 and then state pathways, supervising, coaching, scoretable and stats, head to our HERE.

How to join

  1. Register your interest. Fill out our expression of interest form.

  2. Hear from us. When we're running a school, we'll email everyone who has registered with details on how selection works.

  3. Selection. Selection typically includes an interview (see below).

  4. Start the school. Complete the online modules, the in-person sessions, the exam and your on-court training.

Who can join: anyone aged 14 or over.

When we run: we run a minimum of two intakes a year, and sometimes up to four depending on what our competitions need. Register your interest at any time and you'll hear about the next one.

How Selection Works

Selection typically includes an interview. The interview helps us assess your readiness to take part in a school, and we look at a range of things, including:

  • Your willingness to apply feedback

  • How you interact in groups and present in front of a larger group

  • How you work with partners and in small groups

  • Your ability to follow instructions and keep on top of administration

We also consider your age and availability. When we're running a school, we'll email everyone who has registered with the details of how selection will work.

Fill out the EOI form

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • No. Playing experience can help early on, but it's not required. Some of our best referees don't play at all and choose to spend their Saturdays refereeing.

  • 14 or over.

  • Intake size and frequency varies based on the needs of the program.

    We typically run schools at least twice a year but up to four times.

  • Successful applicants typically referee twice a week, especially during their early training. After that, it's up to you.

    Plenty of our referees do three or four games every Saturday, and others do 3-4 shifts a week.

  • You can find the current costing on HERE, and we'll also share it when we invite applicants to interview for a new intake.

  • 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.

  • It's different for everyone, and we don't guarantee a timeline or that everyone will pass. We progress referees on competency. See "How quickly will I progress?" above.

  • That's completely normal. As a Rookie, you always have a mentor right beside you, and our coaches are there to help you learn and improve.

Have a question left unanswered?

Reach out using the form below and our Technical officials Program Manager will get back to you as soon as possible.