Green Shirt Referees

Mid-January our newest group of potential referees undertook a full days training with senior, experienced referees James Ronan, Kym Dundas and John Kearle to begin their journey to qualify as accredited referees.

In the coming weeks these enthusiastic young officials will continue their training before you will start to see them as Green Shirt Officials on games in the near future. Basketball Ballarat, the Competitions Committee and the Referee Committee all join in asking you to consider and note these few points:

Referees in green shirts running alongside a black and white referee are being mentored

This means they are learning how to referee for the first time, their calls will be inconsistent, and mentors will try their best to manage games whilst teaching but this may mean some calls get missed.

Green shirters running opposite a black and white referee are not ‘half’ referees

If a green shirt referee is running by themselves it is because they have been observed to be able to competently handle games to the level of their given grade. However, they are still new and adjusting to refereeing by themselves and therefore should be shown the respect you would anyone still learning their role, especially such a challenging one. This respect should continue for all referees.

Don’t pressure green shirts

Players/coaches/spectators are by no means ever allowed to approach a referee wearing a green shirt, whether to ask a question or not. All communication should be directed to the official wearing black and white.

Respect the referees

Anyone seen or heard to be disrespectfully undermining the calls or decisions of green shirt officials or rudely communicating with them will be immediately issued with a technical foul – there are no exceptions. Any spectators observed displaying the above behaviour will be removed from the game area.

 

At present we have too many players being disrespectful of referees. There are too many times when the same players having been penalised for misdemeanours and poor behaviour, continue to exhibit the same behaviour when they return. Basketball Ballarat will review all repeat offenders in 2018 with a view to applying the “three strikes and you are out” policy for ongoing poor behaviour by any person that negatively impacts the safety or enjoyment of others.

This has filtered across all competitions and, as a result, we are constantly losing referees due to the increase in poor behaviour and a lack of respect for the job all referees are trying their best to do.

Most of our referees are underage, and many leave in the first year for other casual employment because of the abuse or sarcastic treatment they have received on court.

Peter Eddy

Chief Executive Officer