Have FIBA got referee training right?

Just spent a day with FIBA the international governing body for basketball on the second phase of FRIP (The FIBA Referee Instructor Programme). So far we have helped train over 60 National Federation Instructors with the aim to train a total of 150 by the end of the year with sessions in the Americas, Oceana, Africa and Asia to come. 

We have helped FIBA to develop a home study, online learning and assessment, the design and delivery of an intense weekend to the National Instructors.

The aim is to seek to have consistent delivery of referee instructing in each of the 215 National Federations. Europe is well ahead of the game having had camps organised annually for a number of years under the British ex international referee Alan Richardson who has been an inspiration to many. So designing a programme for them who are head teachers and experienced delivers of adult learning was challenging as well as also trying to meet the needs of the rest of the world.

The FIBA referees department has addressed some fundamental issues; 

• How is referee instructing best delivered?
• How do they address the compliant from coaches that referees don't know the game? 
• How do they make sure that games are consistently delivered at allLevels across the world? 

The first question is where I came in to develop the teaching and learning elements of the training. I based the delivery around education and training level 4 with an understanding of how people might learn, the benefits of facilitation and not lecturing and also inter-active techniques through effective planning. At the end of the intense weekend all learners have to undergo an online assessment to check learning. This is all done in English as the international language which I'm sure you can see is a challenge for many. 

Coaches were consulted as to what they wanted to referees to learn and the department itself put together inter-active sessions to add to the learning experience. The aim is for referees to not only know coaching techniques but also start to read the game. We have a great clip of a referee who has clearly read an offence by moving backwards well before players moved into his area. 

Each national federation appoint a national instructor who is responsible for delivery of referee development in their own federation and they must undergo this training but FIBA do not dictate how they deliver locally but a number of Federations send more than one delegate to the training although they can only have one FIBA recognised National Instructor. The European "class of 2016" are back together in May this year to review how it has gone, what has changed and to have further training. 

The first Americas group with go through the first level in May and the rest of the world is planned for later in the year.

But what next? Well it's FRIP Level 2 which is now taking shape taking the same themes but how can this next level of Instructors support Federations who maybe don't plan or deliver as well as others. How do they understand themselves, evaluate delivery, and referees themselves and as importantly work as a team. This will be a smaller group of a maximum of 50 worldwide. 

This second level with further referee and basketball knowledge will have the same format of home study both in hard copy and online an intense weekend with assessment and then ongoing CPD and support. 

The FIBA approach of standardising delivery is already bearing fruit with positive feedback supporting the growth of the game. It's one of benefits of my work that its great to work with like minded people across the world. 

For more info see https://www.sportstructures.com/clientitem.asp?section=0001000100010011&itemid=22404