Technical Officials at Blackburn Vikings
At Blackburn we take pride in having a technical officials program which supports referees, provides pathways and development, and services competitions to a high standard.
The BVBA Referee Program is a welcoming, development-focused community built on clarity, consistency and professionalism. We aim to provide strong coaching, clear communication and structured pathways so referees can build confidence and improve their skills over time. Our values emphasise teamwork, accountability and continual growth, creating an environment where officials can learn and contribute to the game in a meaningful way.
In addition to this our Scoretable and Statisticians team keep engaged with this game that we all love while consistently developing in order to improve the game day experience for all participants of the BigV Competition.
If you have any questions about being a technical official at blackburn, please use the contact Con, our Technical Officials Program Manager, at referees@blacburnvikings.com
TOC Subcommittee
At Blackburn, we operate under a Technical Officials Commission Structure. This includes a subcommittee who look after governance and guide the direction for the technical officials space. Below are our committee:
Con Economou (TOPM/Chair), Kim Round (BVBA President), Allana Edgell, Alice Woodland, and Nathan Gilmour
Our charter is available HERE
Referees Beginners Course
At Blackburn we run 1-2 beginners courses a year in line with the clubs needs of officials in order to service our competitions. The course includes 3 education sessions and coaching through to your C1 Qualification. Entry in to the course is generally very competitive and will include a group interview process.
Please note, the age requirement for the Referee Beginner Course is 14+ years.
Referee pathways
One foundation. Three directions from there. Not everyone lands in the same place, and that's the point.
Just earned your stripes. Mostly juniors and All Abilities while you learn the game.
Meeting requirements and taking on feedback as you go. Opens the door to Over 35s and Friday nights.
Trusted with our highest local divisions. Can take control of any local game.
No refereeing and no C1–C3 required to start. Plenty of our scoretable and stats crew never ref at all — it's its own way of being part of high-level Big V basketball.
If you're chasing state-level refereeing too, this is a head start — you'll see what state basketball looks like before you're the one calling it.
Three directions open up from here. They're not locked in — you can mix pathways, or move between them over time.
Flexibility to ref on your own terms, without needing to be all in all the time. There's always more to improve here, and a crew worth sticking around for.
Looks after the game and fellow referees. Protects officials on court, holds the code of conduct, and starts mentoring less experienced refs. Plenty of supervisors stop right here.
Usually follows time as a supervisor. Gives you the tools to give structured feedback and assess referees against a set of criteria to help them move forward.
Grade 1 and 2. Stay close to home, developing referees from their first day right through to C3.
Support referees heading into senior and state leagues, coaching at a state level.
This pathway isn't for everyone — it asks for real effort off court as well as on: fitness, self-reflection, clipping your own games. Some referees stay at S1 for years, some settle into Big V for the long haul. Either is a full career, not a shortfall.
See also: scoretable & stats, up near C1–C3 — useful groundwork for this pathway too.
