Becoming an NBA referee is a dream that many basketball players have, but few achieve. The path to becoming an NBA referee is long and challenging, but if you are willing to put in the work, it is possible.

In order to become an NBA referee, you must first be at least 18 years old and meet the height and weight requirements of your local high school or university basketball team. You will also need to pass a physical fitness test that includes running one mile in less than seven minutes and performing at least 20 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, and 20 jumping jacks within 1 minute each.

After meeting these requirements, you can begin taking classes at your local community college or university on sports law enforcement and sports management. These classes prepare students for their eventual job as referees by teaching them about rules and regulations for different sports leagues all over the world.

After completing these courses with a grade of A or B, applicants must attend an NBA training camp where they will learn about the history of the league from those who were there when it began back in 1946. They will also learn about current issues facing teams today such as player safety issues regarding concussions from violent hits during games played against one another by both teams involved in playing against each.

How To Become An Nba Ref

There are a variety of opportunities to achieve a job position involving basketball. NBA referees officiate at the highest level and enforce the rules of basketball among professional teams. By learning more about the strategies to become an NBA referee, you can establish a career plan to reach your officiating goals. In this article, we define NBA refs, review their job responsibilities, list how to become an NBA ref and provide additional information about skills, salary expectations and the job outlook for NBA refs.

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What is an NBA ref?

An NBA ref is a professional referee who works as an officiant for the national basketball association (NBA). They work with a group of other referees to ensure fair game results and sportsmen-like conduct between basketball teams. They work through pre-season, regular season and playoff matches.

What does an NBA ref do?

NBA referees monitor basketball plays for potential fouls, violations, instances of traveling, double dribbling, jump balls or inbound passing violations. These are some specific examples of an NBA ref’s job responsibilities:

• Making calls quickly based on the violations or infractions they notice
• Initiating time-outs for basketball teams and keeping watch of the clock
• Using hand signals to convey the reason they blew the whistle
• Running and backpedaling across the court to keep up with a player’s movements
• Consulting with other referees and officiant staff about the accuracy of calls they made
• Reviewing video footage of play sequences to determine whether to approve or deny a call
• Maintaining professional communication with both teams’ coaches throughout the game
• Traveling by car or airplane to officiate games in different cities or states
• Working late nights or weekends to officiate basketball games
• Calmly explaining their reasoning for issuing violations or penalties to players and coaches who don’t understand
• Referencing the clock and scoreboard to make sure scorekeepers entered the right points or fouls
• Overseeing the coin toss or jump ball event at the beginning of each game to determine which team got first pick

How to become an NBA ref

The NBA officials website outlines the requirements for NBA referee candidates. They have an NBA scouting team that reviews candidate profiles, including referee clips and employment history. However, you can also strive to become an NBA referee by working your way up through the different basketball leagues. Here is a list of steps that outline how to pursue an NBA referee position:

1. Earn a high school diploma

Earning a high school diploma or GED is the minimum education requirement for referees across league levels. To amplify your resume, you can try to get involved with your school’s basketball team as either a student manager, player or referee assistant if possible. This can help you learn more about the game while also gaining valuable experience.

2. Work as a referee for youth basketball

At the recreational level, youth basketball leagues can be a great place to start your career as a referee. Those with little-to-no refereeing experience can continue learning and enhancing their skills while also helping youth basketball players learn the fundamentals of basketball. To become a youth basketball referee, do an online search for your local area’s parks and recreation department and look into volunteer referee or paid referee positions. The parks and recreation department usually plans, funds and hires for recreational sports programs like youth basketball.

3. Register to work as a high school athletics coach

The next level for basketball referees is to officiate at the high school level. To do this, you need to contact your state’s public school athletic association. There may also be specific leagues for high school level basketball that you can apply through. To qualify to become a high school referee, you typically need to pass a background check and complete an interview. You may also need to pass a basketball rule test and conduct a mock game demonstration of your refereeing skills.

4. Register to officiate through the National College Athletic Association (NCAA)

The National College Athletic Association (NCAA), includes college basketball. When you register to officiate college basketball, you may also need to include a resume, cover letter and video clips of your referee skills. You may also need to complete an in-person interview, knowledge test and background check in order to qualify.

6. Attend referee tryouts for the NBA G League

The NBA G League is the minor league for the NBA. They hold referee tryouts for qualified individuals and select candidates based on their expertise. To tryout for a referee position with the NBA G League, you can do research on their website to determine the deadline for applications and what you need to include. If selected, you also need to adjust your schedule to travel to the tryout location at the set date and time.

7. Demonstrate your skill and work ethic

Once you start working as a referee for the NBA G League, demonstrate your dedication to the job by prioritizing teamwork, communication and basketball expertise. You can also do this by being willing to step in to fill vacancies for important games.

8. Ask for a recommendation to work as an NBA referee

Some NBA G League referees have the opportunity to receive promotions to the NBA by recommendations from their superiors. To receive a recommendation, talk with your direct superior about your performance and how you could improve. Also use this time to mention your desire to work in the NBA league and discuss the circumstances for a recommendation. This helps your direct superior understand your career goals and how they can help you achieve them.

Related: How To Become a Referee

Skills for NBA refs

NBA referees need a combination of basketball expertise and interpersonal skills to succeed in their job roles. Here are some examples of skills that NBA refs can benefit from:

• Physical stamina: Throughout basketball games, referees need to run, backpedal and lean over in order to stay with the ball and make calls accordingly. Referees also stand for long periods during basketball games. Because of this, NBA referees should have excellent physical stamina that allows them to run, walk or stand for the duration of a game.
• Patience: In certain situations, referees may need to help calm an upset player or coach in response to a call they made. This requires a great deal of patience on the part of the referee. Therefore, being able to remain calm and professional in heated moments can help referees continue performing their job well.
• Interpersonal communication: NBA referees should have excellent interpersonal communication as it allows them to adjust their communication strategies whether speaking to a player, coach or another officiant. NBA referees can also benefit from interpersonal communication as they travel to officiate different games, and they may have to get used to working with someone they haven’t previously worked with.
• Basketball rules expertise: NBA referees should have an expert understanding of basketball rules, offenses and referee hand signals as it helps them succeed in their job role as a top-level officiant.
• Ethical mindset: An ethical mindset helps NBA referees make calls through an un-biased and fair perspective for both teams involved. This ensures fair game results
• Ability to focus: During basketball games, players continually move on the court, coaches yell to their players and the audience makes their voices known. Because of this, it’s important that NBA referees have a keen ability to focus, even in an environment that has a lot of distractions. This prevents them from missing important calls that affect the outcome of the game.
• Attention to detail: NBA referees also need to have a keen attention to detail which enables them to catch minor details for fouls and other offenses.

Related: Attention To Detail: Definitions and Examples

Salary expectations for NBA refs

The national average salary for referees is $36,604 per year. The national average salary for NBA refs can expect to be higher because the NBA has top-performing professional athletes and large following. The salary expectations for referees can also vary by location and experience, with the highest paying location for referees being Jacksonville, Florida. Here, referees have the potential to earn up to $138,972 per year.

Related: How Much Do Referees Get Paid? Average Salaries, Job Duties and Education Requirements

Job outlook for NBA refs

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for umpires, referees and other sports official occupations can expect to see an 8% increase between 2019 and 2029 which is faster than the average.