Basketball officiating is great if you are interested in being constantly active and closely involved with the game action. Basketball is also a sport you can officiate nearly year-round via school, club, AAU and amateur contests and therefore has a higher earning potential than many other sports.
Basketball officials are moving constantly. There are no opportunities for rest while play is ongoing because basketball officials need to adjust their positions constantly to see the action as player positions shift. You will run between 1 and 4 miles during a competitive basketball game. Most basketball games take place indoors, but because of the activity level, hydration is something basketball officials take seriously. As the players you’re officiating get older and the competitive levels increase, the physical demands also increase.
Basketball officials work with one or sometimes two or three partners. You will shift between the lead position and the trail or center position many times per game, and thus, your responsibilities will change constantly. Basketball officials are also closer to the players, coaches and the fans than in other sports and must be able to focus and ignore distractions. You will also need to be able to handle hearing verbal criticism from the stands and sometimes communicate with coaches. Teamwork and support for and from your partners is crucial to success in basketball officiating.
Basketball requires officials to move to different positions around the court, and be responsible for watching different parts of the action depending on where they are. To maximize your success, you’ll have to learn all these positions well. You can train yourself with rule books and manuals from the Referee Training Center, but you should also join a local officials association where you can expect lectures, demonstrations and exercises that will prepare you for what you’ll face.
Different organizations have different requirements, but most require at least attendance at a meeting to go over any current rule changes. Additional requirements may be a written test with a minimum passing score, payment of fees for the upcoming season and association meeting attendance.
Estimated cost: $200. Once you join a local officiating association, there may be veteran officials who are willing to give or sell you “hand–me–downs” to help you get geared up at a reduced cost.
Game fees vary widely based on the players’ age group, competitive level and the state you officiate in. The fees range from $20-$35 for youth games and $45-$150 for competitive high school games. To maximize your income, you can work a combination of levels several days a week, including weekend tournaments where you can work games all day. You can also work adult amateur, club and AAU basketball year-round to make reliable income. A basketball official working youth, high school and adult amateur games, with a full schedule, can make several hundred dollars per week outside their normal jobs. College officials make more and game fees increase with the level of competition. Many high level college officials and professional officials do not have other jobs, and live on their officiating income.
Here’s the path for starting and continuing your officiating career:
Many officials start at the youth level. Contact your local recreation department leaders. Your local association should also help you make contacts to get games. Parks & Rec departments offer youth and adult games in many cities and you can potentially work multiple games per day on the weekends for schools and independent organizations, enhancing your earning potential.
After working youth games, you may feel you have the skills and confidence to work higher levels of competition. You may also start at this level if you have a good grasp of the rules and/or experience as a player. For jr. high games, ask your association leader or contact your school district. For high school games, you’ll need to work with an assigner through your local association. Any work with sanctioned school games requires you to be registered through your state, to prove you’re competent.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is the nation’s governing body for high school athletics. Through them you can get all the information you need from your state to register and start the process to work High School sports.
College basketball officiating is highly competitive. Officials with one year of youth experience would most likely not be a candidate even though there isn’t a designated number of years of experience to reach the college ranks. Obtaining a conference schedule and advancement within a conference is based on the league or conference. When first trying to enter a college conference, talk with officials who are currently in the conference. They can give you valuable information such as the conference commissioner and officiating camps to attend. College athletic directors or sports information directors can also be helpful.
You may start your career in the NAIA, work a NCAA Division III conference, advance to a Division II schedule, then on to a smaller Division I conference and culminate with a major Division I schedule. Attending officiating camps is an important tool to improve your officiating. Not only can you learn from experienced veterans, you can be seen by those who assign games at that level, most often conference commissioners or officiating supervisors.
The NBA and WNBA are two of the world’s premier sports and entertainment enterprises; a diverse group of high performing individuals delivering joy and excitement to hundreds of millions of basketball fans all over the world. It should be no surprise that much of our success depends on the Referees who ensure the integrity of the game and a forum where player’s skills, team dynamics, passion and dedication determine game outcomes.
The NBA and WNBA recruit referees from around the globe to become part of our team, but also to provide those who want to pursue this exciting career with insight into how they can develop their skills to achieve professional-level officiating excellence.
The NBA and WNBA review candidates based on expertise of officiating in live events. Prospective officials should contact any of these organizations to begin their professional journey. Candidates are evaluated by the NBA Scouting Group.
You may also consider joining NASO, the only nation-wide officials support organization. As a member-driven community; NASO exists to unite, celebrate, develop and protect all officials so that they can reach their goals and take pride in their contributions to the benefits that sports provide society.