Norths Basketball is expanding its commitment to referee development, delivering essential education and learning opportunities to support officials at every stage of their journey.

As part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening referee development at Norths Basketball, we will host our first-ever Senior Referee Education Night this week.

The initiative will be delivered by Logan Bilby, Norths Basketball’s Officials Program Manager and an experienced senior referee across both national and state competitions, including the NBL, WNBL, NBL1 and Waratah League. Logan is also the founder of Referee College of Australia.

Why are we improving our referee program?

The initiative comes at an important time for basketball officiating, with Basketball Australia and Basketball NSW placing a renewed focus on structured education, development and clearer pathways for officials. Basketball Australia’s new National Officiating Framework, launched earlier this year, is designed to provide stronger education and support for officials at every level. Basketball NSW updated their state mandated framework alongside this, in the hopes to continue prioritising the development and retention of technical officials across the state.

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Norths’ Senior Referee Education Night is another step towards supporting our officials to continue learning, developing and progressing within the game. It is an integral part of Norths Basketball’s broader commitment to providing Better Lives from Basketball.

For Norths, the focus is practical. The session is designed to improve communication between officials, players and coaches, helping our referees de-escalate conflict and contribute to a positive game-day experience. It will also focus on improving the accuracy and consistency of calls, strengthening referee professionalism and providing officials with greater insight into the standards and expectations of elite-level officiating.

The session will cover game management and de-escalation techniques, and improving accuracy through positioning, with attendees sitting courtside at North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre (NSISC) to breakdown and review officiating calls made in a Men’s Premier League game (highest level of NSBA’s domestic competition). This will then be followed by a round-table discussion designed to encourage shared learning and open conversation. By increasing access to quality education and creating a stronger culture of learning among our officials, Norths hopes to give referees the tools, confidence and support to continue progressing both on and off the court.

Referee College of Australia founder Logan Bilby shares why continued referee education is so important, and how Norths is investing in the development of its officials:

“As the game continues to evolve, officials must continually adapt to the changing demands of players, coaches and teams. That’s where quality referee education plays an important role.
At Norths, we’re committed to creating opportunities for officials to learn, grow and develop, whether it’s their first game, their 1,000th game or anywhere in between. Over the next quarter, our goal is to extend referee education across all of our external venues, while providing our senior officials with greater access to development through both in-person and virtual pathways.”

How does this improve the referee experience?

Norths’ Senior Referee Education Night is another step towards supporting our officials to continue learning, developing and progressing within the game. It is an integral part of Norths Basketball’s broader commitment to providing Better Lives from Basketball.

For Norths, the focus is practical. The session is designed to improve communication between officials, players and coaches, helping our referees de-escalate conflict and contribute to a positive game-day experience. It will also focus on improving the accuracy and consistency of calls, strengthening referee professionalism and providing officials with greater insight into the standards and expectations of elite-level officiating.

The session will cover game management and de-escalation techniques, and improving accuracy through positioning, with attendees sitting courtside at North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre (NSISC) to breakdown and review officiating calls made in a Men’s Premier League game (highest level of NSBA’s domestic competition). This will then be followed by a round-table discussion designed to encourage shared learning and open conversation. By increasing access to quality education and creating a stronger culture of learning among our officials, Norths hopes to give referees the tools, confidence and support to continue progressing both on and off the court.

Norths Basketball is currently seeking a fresh intake of referees, offering this same commitment to development and progression pathway to any first-timers, or experienced officials looking to join our program.

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