Suggestions for referee improvements

While it would seem BASA have put their hope behind a new man at the top and a much improved development program I was wondering what other ideas are out there to help solve the current refereeing crisis.

I for one agree with a number of ideas previously posted here and brought up privately, being:

A complete ZERO tolerance on all Junior games. This must be enforced by clubs and stadium/uics/referees alike.

A major increase in ref payments at the Junior and Senior District Level. In comparison to VIC, NSW and Qld our refs get paid approx half what their conterparts do interstate.

Club involvement. As in VIC make clubs responsible for supplying the District program with referees, therefore becoming part of the solution not part of the problem. As has been posted on here recently; make every club nominate one person willing to referee (who isn't currently doing so) for every two junior teams they nominate.

A clear and fair structure to for referees to progress through. At the moment it just seems those in the good books go the furthest while those who aren't personally friends with the 'crew' get left by the way side. Personal opinion is the deciding factor right now, not a referee's actual abilities.

More on court training. We need more people out at stadiums on friday and saturdays helping referees develop their skills. This can not be the role of the UIC at the moment as at most venues I've been to on a Friday night recently the UIC is normally made to referee all night to cover the shortage.



Anyway thats just a few ideas previously spoken about. Instead of everyone complaining I just thought we could come up with some constructive ideas to actually make a difference. Yogee maybe you could take these ideas to Colin/Phil/Neil/BASA at your next meeting?

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Isaac  
Years ago

Something else I suggested a while back was allowing juniors to offset their yearly costs by refereeing for their club.

Each one you've suggested is a quality idea, IMO.

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yogee  
Years ago

I'll add it to the list, but after the email I've sent to the club today, another meeting may not occur.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I think you would get a number of retired referees back in the system if pay levels rose and abuse decreased.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

i know that the refs that do saturday morning school games get paid at least $20 a game. why would you district for about half the money

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Dr Dunkenstein  
Years ago

here's a novel idea - every friday night and saturday morning for a couple of months BASA could run an umpiring course.

This course would be attended by the u-16 and u-18 (all div's) teams that have the bye round that week. If less than 70% of team shows then they do not receive a championship point that round (i think you get one for a bye?? may be two??).

This could not be argued against by clubs and teams as the course would occur at the same times as games.

although not all these kids would go on to umpire, at least you would give the kids some understanding on the rules of the game, and if short on umpires they could be called upon to don a black and white and help out.

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statue of liberty  
Years ago

i think a simple pay rise and abuse cut scheme would work very nicely. I was a ref for 3 years and gave up because of these two things. The fact school basketball was paying me $20 - 25 a game to run up and down for two 20min halves no clock stopped and no abuse, as aposed to being so perfect and not allowed to shoot at basa stadiums or have shirt untucked and get $7 for quarters regularly stopped and cop abuse EVERYTIME you run past the bench. Whoopee.

Something needs to be done about it, i really applaud the ones who do umpire at the moment because they have ALOT of guts. If it wasn't for them we would have no games being played, no basketball. Anything you call as a ref is going to be ridiculed by one team and you always cop abuse from someone, ALWAYS. Try putting yourselves in their shoes next time your throwing abuse at them, because they aint doing it for the money!!!

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pkls  
Years ago

Everyone says this is a BASA problem, and to some extent it is. However until the Clubs, who are BASA, take responsibility for this part of the game, then we won't have any solution. I know the clubs struggle in other facets of having enough personnel for the game, but how many have a person in their club responsible for developing and fostering the referee/umpires in their club.

Neil has great ideas, but it will take time to get the results. We focus too much on Junior officials who do not have many real life people management/coping skills.

By the way Yogee, is that how they treat conflict/differences of opinion. Put their head in the sand and hope we go away. We might, but the problem certainly doesn't.

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Misty  
Years ago

Abuse of officials is the major reason why there are no new refs, so what if the pay is crap, for most of us it's not about the money.
The problem is the abuse and the only way to deal with it is to ask the clubs to set up their own abuse management policy and adhere to it.
Zero tolerance on junior games is a MUST. Officials must be encouraged to T up abusive coaches, players and eject problem spectators.
Junior officials need to be taken care of as it takes years to gain the experience needed to officiate the NBL, if they quit now because some coach gets his jollies out of intimidating kids, then there will be no future for the NBL in SA.
Sorry if I seem a bit over dramatic but these kids are the future of basketball in SA as much as the players are.

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