How to Become a State-Certified Recreation Basketball Referee in Georgia

Basketball referees are held to a strict code of ethics.

Georgia's state-certified basketball referees officiate games for high schools and state-organized teams all over the state. To do this job, you need to learn all of the rules and mechanics of the game. In Georgia, starting qualifications are few: You only need to be at least 18 years old and have a high school or GED diploma. If you meet these qualifications, you can begin taking the steps to becoming state-certified. Georgia has a predefined timeline and procedures for the certification process. Before long, you'll be officiating your very first basketball game.

Instructions

1. Fill out a membership application for the Georgia Athletic Officials Association. The association is a Georgia High School Association-approved organization. Affiliation with a Georgia High School Association-approved association is required to be able to officiate high school basketball games in Georgia.

2. Register for one of the Georgia High School Association rules clinics. The clinics teaches you about the rules and calls of basketball games. The association now has online rules clinics for each sport at different times of the year.

3. Take Part I, Part II and Mechanics Basketball Examinations provided by the Georgia High School Association. Get at least a 75 percentage score to pass each portion. Pass the exam two years in a row to be eligible to be an Approved Official -- a necessary step before becoming certified. The first year qualifies you for "Registered" status, and the second year is for "Approved" status. Examinations are administered and submitted to the Georgia High School Association by the association secretary of the association-approved organization you joined previously. Check with the official organization for dates, times and locations of upcoming examinations.

4. Register and attend the Georgia High School Association's rules interpretation clinics each year for two years to be qualified for certification. Certification isn't granted if no record exists of you attending the clinics.

5. Get the required number of game credits. Officiate at least 10 basketball games to become certified. Volunteer at different schools to officiate 10 varsity basketball games. If you can't get varsity credits, try for the junior varsity games. However, you need double the amount of junior varsity game credits than you do varsity ones. For instance, two junior varsity games equals one varsity game. If you officiate only JV games, you need 20 game credits to qualify for certification.

6. Be an approved officiant for two years to become certified. Following the steps above earns you the classification as an approved officiant. After two years, get at least 85 percent correct on the yearly Part II Examination for the year you want to be certified.

Tips & Warnings

• There are three classifications for being a Georgia High School Association officiant: Registered, Approved and Certified. You must at least meet the requirements of the Registered classification to earn the Approved classification, and then the requirements of the Approved classification to attain the Certified classification.

References

• GHSA: Officials Classifications
• Atlanta Area Basketball Officials Association: New Member Application
• GHSA: Officials Examinations

Resources

• GHSA: Rules Clinic Schedules
• Georgia Athletic Officials Association