Sutherland District Basketball Association’s Officials Community proudly hosts a mix of 150 Referees and Scoretable Officials.
Currently servicing over 100 games of domestic basketball each week and supporting representative officials across the lengthy representative season calendar, our team is always working hard to cover the exciting but exponential growth that basketball is currently experiencing across Australia.
The SDBA Officials Community has a range of opportunities and pathways for people of all skill and experience levels to join our team and get out on the floor with the whistle!
We proudly service the domestic basketball leagues at Sutherland and Menai, with games ranging from the mixed social division to the Herbs of Gold Superleague.
Our community values a dedicated approach to servicing the game of basketball, enjoying the camaraderie with our team members and building rapport with the members we have involved with the game at the club.
Our mission statement as a referee program has and always will be – DELIVER A QUALITY BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE.
Interested in seeing if you have what it takes to be a basketball official? View the FAQ’s below to find out more.
SDBA maintains an inclusive approach to our officials program. All participants are required to meet standard employment requirements, including suitability checks. New officials typically begin with a foundation course to learn the basics, followed by on-court experience under the guidance of an accredited mentor. From there, officials progress towards becoming independent and formally badged with the club.
Individually, the officiating role requires a mindset and skillset that aims to thrive in high intensity environments while putting the integrity of the game first, working with your team effectively and possessing strong individual values that enhance the quality of the game for everyone to enjoy.
The key traits and values that any sport official should possess are (Don’t worry, if you don’t believe you have these things, you do! And the team will help bring them out in you so can develop what it takes to be an official.
– A selfless and positive attitude that puts the game first, along with a willing attitude to perform to your best and develop as an official.
– An active mindset that is resilient to pressure and can navigate difficult situations
– Informative decision-making abilities that prioritise fairness and control of the game
– A sustainable level of fitness so that we can keep up with the game and make rational decisions and deliver communication in a composed manner
– Teamwork and the ability to work co-operatively with those involved in the game.
Officiating the game of basketball requires a team effort to successfully service the game to a high standard. Beginning with the domestic leagues at Sutherland, you can expect to start your journey on an appropriate division with an experienced mentor. Commonly these games are refereed with two badged officials and a volunteer score bench. This structure covers about 90% of our domestic competition, with the excpetion of our super league and over 35s competition, which is covered with 3PO (3 Person Officiating) and qualified score benches
Did you know that Sutherland Basketball has proudly been home to some of Australia’s best officials! Dating back to Grahame Clark, Roger Shiels in the rough and tough NBL era of the 90’s and now extending to rising talents such as Marcus Hayden and Tom Marsh who are paving the path for officiating excellence into the future at and beyond Sutherland.
Hesitant to strap on the whistle and get out on court? Try a scoretable or statistician role and work alongside Michael Bills (NBL/FIBA) and his team covering anything from the Super League domestic competition to the prestigious NBL1 East Competition.
With the sport growing at a rate never seen before, the pathways are clear and the opportunity is bountiful, see where officiating with Sutherland can take you now!
The SDBA officials program runs courses and development opportunities consistently throughout the year.
If you are new to officiating, beginner referee courses are commonly held during each school holiday period. If you are experienced or an adult over the age of 18, we run condensed courses to fast track you on the court throughout the year.
Interest and curiosity have been the starting point for many officials who’ve gone on to progress through the pathway all the way to the elite level — and we love to see it.
Love a challenge or working collaboratively in high pressure situations?
Like the sound of making some extra cash while improving your fitness?
Looking for an enjoyable and rewarding community to be a part of?
Contact referees@sutherlandbasketball.net.au to find out when our next opportunity to become an official with Sutherland is being held!
Best Swishes! Hope to hear from you soon.
