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Professional Referees Selection Process
by Sport Court World's most experienced court builder.Official referees in professional sporting events have their work cut out for them. Not only do they have to be in top physical shape, they have to be great at observation and handle making some tough calls — but they deal with a lot of criticism as well.
Many of these professionals came from humble beginnings — such as intense training and workouts on a home basketball court after a long day of work at a ‘normal’ job. So how do these individuals rise to the level of professional referee?
NBA Officials, the official website of NBA referees, says the organization only selects the best of the best. Individuals must be in excellent shape, have a detailed understanding of the rule book, coupled with years of experience and be great at networking.
Nonetheless, you have to start somewhere — even a home basketball court. The site reports the typical qualification process for referees as a four step process. First, the official in training must learn the basics — “rules, play calling, court presence and on-court communication” in high school and collegiate leagues.
Next, NBA Officials notes, prospects must advance their skills, focusing on collegiate leagues “high-stakes games, three person officiating, and play calling on court.” By the third stage, individuals should be getting time on WNBA and NBA D-League games and focusing on “NBA play calling, court presence and mechanics.”
Finally, step four is to reach to NBA assignors and network in hopes of getting on the official roster. “Not all steps are necessary to be considered for the NBA, but like players, Officials learn better basketball when they continue to be challenged by more competitive games,” writes NBA officials.
It is possible to build a career as a professional referee — even if you started out on a home basketball court. However, professional assignors and the NBA still want to ensure that you are the “best of the best” before selecting you for a game and you’ll have to prove it.
The New York Times reports that athletes are sought out first. Professional referees need to be able to run the court alongside athletes, so they should be training as hard as the athletes themselves. Aspiring refs need to focus on networking and when possible enroll in clinics or camps to strengthen their skills.
If and when you taking refereeing from a home basketball court to a professional NBA game, you will constantly have eyes on you. Officials must always strive to be better, train and improve because they’re continually being analyzed by teams, coaches, assignors and the media.
Nicole Donaldson is an athletics writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Sport Court. Follow on Twitter.
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