We usually run three beginner referee courses each year, taught by accredited and experienced referee educators. The theory sessions run one evening per week (two hours) for five weeks. After about the third week trainees take to the court on Saturday mornings, supported by a referee coach and running beside a qualified referee. This training continues until the referee instructor is satisfied that the trainee is a competent referee on junior domestic basketball. This usually takes somewhere between four and eight weeks, but there is no specific time limit.
In this course we teach a correct understanding of the basic rules of the games and we teach referee positioning and signals.
To register your interest in becoming a referee, please contact our referee administrator Des Buchan at refereeappointments@elthamwildcats.net.au.
Referees are appointed to games based on their skill, experience and availability. We take into account playing and coaching commitments as well as refereeing preferences as much as possible.
As they gain experience, additional accreditation and skills, referees progress to higher-standard games and leagues.
Every year we provide around a dozen referees to the VJBL Victorian Junior Championships, and over the years many of our referees have represented Victoria at Australian Junior Championships and have been recognised with Gold Medal appointments.
Our referees have also regularly gained appointment to senior representative leagues, such as BigV, NBL1, WNBL and NBL. These appointments are based on achieving higher accreditations and assessed performances. Over the years more than a dozen of our referees have been appointed to the WNBL and in the past decade three have made it to the NBL, which is the top Australian competition: Todd Spain, Mitch Hare and Elliot Green.
In 2021, two of the four Victorian NBL Referees and one of the two Victorian NBL Referee Coaches hail from Eltham.
Referees start as Trainees and are not usually paid.
Once they are assessed as competent, they become C Grade referees. This is the basic level and referees receive a hobby payment per game.
After about one to two years we run an upgrade course where referees are taught advanced techniques and rule knowledge and are assessed on tougher games. If successful, this leads to a B grade qualification, and comes with an increased payment per game.
Usually after a further year on tougher games, B Grade referees are invited to the A Grade program, which teaches even higher-level techniques and rules knowledge. The aim is to prepare referees for representative refereeing in Junior and Senior Championship programs. Naturally, successfully completing the A Grade course and assessment also comes with a high hobby payment and increased opportunities beyond Eltham.
All of our courses are taught by accredited and experienced referee educators.
The Eltham Wildcats refereeing program has the very strong support of the Club’s Executive Committee, General Committee and management.
The program is lead by our Director of Refereeing, Steven Chadd, who is a highly credentialed Referee-Coach at all levels of Australian basketball, from domestic juniors to the NBL and Australian Championships. He is also a Commissioner of the Technical Officials Commission of Basketball Victoria.
Steve is supported by twenty accredited Referee-Coaches, who are present at many of the Club’s matches to support, assist and advise our referees.
Many of our Referee-Coaches operate in higher-level leagues, up to and including the NBL.
There is also a Referees Committee, headed by Branch President Symon Mountford, which operates to particularly support the referees’ welfare, recognise their achievements and assist with their on-going education.