Officiate
Netball is the number one team sport played by women and girls in England and with interest in the sport growing at an unprecedented rate the need for Officials to service the game at every level has never been more important.
Below you’ll find lots of useful areas to help you with your officiating journey, whether you’re just starting out or as an experienced official.
All Officiating Courses are now delivered directly by England Netball, with support from the Region and Counties for mentoring and assessment, the details of which are below. The contacts for your local County Officiating Lead can be found below.
Into Officiating
Aim
To introduce the rudiments of umpiring a netball match at junior/youth/adult level in a club environment.
Who can attend?
Young people (from 13 years of age) and adults who have had no experience of umpiring. This course is mandatory prior to attending a C award course.
Course duration:
Online 4 hours (2 x 2 hours)
Mentoring & Assessment details
Learners will be required to attend the course and then undertake a practical assessment.
Contact your County Officiating Lead for more details on how to receive mentoring and completion of assessment (see above).
C Award
Aim
To prepare umpires with knowledge of rules and umpire competencies / protocols to umpire at either junior / youth and adult club level.
Who can attend?
Young people (from 14 years of age) and adults who have attended and passed the Into Officiating course.
Duration of the course
Course Duration
: 3 hours (online 2 x 1.5 hours)
Mentoring & Assessment Details
Learners will be required to attend the course and then undertake a written assessment followed by a practical assessment. You can contact your local County Officiating Lead with the links above.
B Award
Aim
- Improve their current knowledge of the rules
- Improve umpiring skills
- Identify the requirements for the Netball Europe B Award
- Prepare trainee ‘B’ umpires for the assessment, which is a prerequisite to applying for the test
Who can attend?
Any qualified umpire who has achieved the C Umpiring Award or who holds a B award qualification who has been out of umpiring for a while.
Duration of the course
Course Duration: 3 hours online (2 x 1.5 hours) followed by a 2 hour tutor led practical session
Mentoring & Assessment Details
Along with attending the course, learners will be required to undertake a written assessment. (Additional course is provided by Europe Netball to support the written assessment)
Mentoring continues through the County Officiating Leads, with the Region undertaking the assessment. You can contact you County Officiating Lead using the links above or contact our Regional Officiating Lead
here.
A Award
Aim
To prepare ‘B’ Umpires with knowledge of rules & umpires competencies to umpire at regional & national level.
Outcomes to be achieved on the course
- To gain a clearer insight into technical aspects of umpiring, including rules, interpretations
- To develop their observation, concentration and communication skills including clearer insight into umpire protocols
- To gain a clearer insight into technical aspects of umpiring, including rules interpretations on obstructions, contract advantage and umpire protocols
What to expect ?
Bench Officials
Match Bench Officials Course
Bench officials are integral to the smooth running of any match. Without the proper training it will be difficult to achieve all that is needed to properly score and time the match. To this end, England Netball has developed a Bench Officials Qualification.
More information can be found on the England Netball Website or contact Derbyshire's Officiating Lead
Officiating Technical Support Group (TSG)
Our mission is to support trainee umpires at every stage of their journey, beginning with completion of an England Netball Umpiring course. We encourage umpires to develop at their own pace, offering guidance and opportunities tailored to each individual.
For umpires under 18, we prioritise age-appropriate games to build their confidence and apply their growing rules knowledge in a safe and supportive environment. We also track progress to help umpires transition smoothly into Regional and National competitions. Derbyshire Netball and East Midlands Netball are dedicated to developing officials by providing continuous mentoring and learning opportunities.
We aim to provide quality support at each phase of an umpire’s journey. Meeting four times a year, our committee stays current on England Netball’s officiating updates and shares these with our members. We also coordinate mentoring and assessments for the INTO and C Awards.
For any officiating questions, please reach out via the Derbyshire Officiating email.
