Have you ever thought about umpiring to ‘up’ your game?
If the answer is yes, then get your whistle ready, we need you!

Netball umpiring isn’t really about enforcing rules – it’s an integral part of the netball community as umpires help keep the game safe, fair and fun for everyone. We welcome new and experienced umpires to our program. If you are interested in joining us add your details here.

Rules of Netball Exam

The Rules of Netball Exam is the first step towards becoming a club badged umpire. It is an expectation that anyone starting out (regardless of age or playing experience) will complete the exam. You will need to familiarise yourself with the rules before you sit the exam. World Netball updated the rules in 2024, and please find the updated version here. To sit the exam, there is a small cost involved and a 70% mark pass rate is required. The exam is timed, so please register only when you are ready to sit the exam. To access the exam, go to Netball Learning Centre and login. Once completed, a PDF certificate can be downloaded. Please email your pass certificate to our Umpire Coordinator.

Foundation Umpire Education Course

This online course is for those umpires who want to move to the next level. It is a pre-requisite for attaining an Association and/or National C badge (not Club Badge). It helps umpires develop their skills and takes them towards official accreditation. Our recommendation is to complete the course once an umpire has gained some practical on-court experience. To learn more about national accreditation from Netball Australia, please click here.

To access the online course information and tests, please head here.

Pre-Season IWNA Umpiring Course

DATE: Saturday 23 March 2025
TIMES: 8:30am to 11:30am
LOCATION: Cintra Netball Courts

COURSE REGISTRATION LINK

This clinic will provide some theory and practical tips and tricks for application of the rules for umpiring and is open to the following trainees and umpires:-
·       Brand new trainees who have never umpired before (for ages 12 years+)
·       New to umpiring trainees (might have umpired less than 5 games previously, for ages 12 years+)
·       Cadets/Seniors course to be run separately to the junior courses above

This course is a pre-requisite for any new trainee umpires looking to join our program in 2025, and is also recommended for any existing trainees needing a pre-season refresher on the rules.

Participants should bring their own pen, finger grip whistle (available for sale at Cintra if required), scrunchie/hair tie (for their wrist), hat and water bottle and be dressed in activewear, including appropriate footwear. Club uniform is not required.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How old do I have to be to umpire?
At LWNC, we require our umpires to be 12 years and over. We feel this is old enough to handle the rules of the game, players, and spectators.

I’m new to umpiring. Is there a course I can do?
Yes, the IWNA hosts a practical Umpiring Course around March each year. This is great for new umpires and those wanting to refresh their skills. Keep an eye on our socials and website for updates

Will I get paid?
Yes! Once you are badged, you will be paid from $15 per game.

What happens once I've done the Rules of Netball Exam?
Send an email (with your exam pass certificate) to our Umpire Coordinator indicating you are keen to join the roster. Once the competition fixture is released (usually late March), trainee umpires will be paired with a runner; an experienced umpire who will support and guide you with in-the-moment feedback as you umpire. They will continually assess your development and once they feel you’re ready, you will be put forward for formal assessment for your Club umpiring badge. Once successful, we will give you a white umpire shirt from the Club. This is your Club Badge, meaning we feel you are experienced enough to umpire on your own. Fun perk: at this stage, you will be paid.

How will I find out what game I'm rostered on?
Once we know everyone’s availability and the game schedule is out, you will be allocated a team to umpire. As much as possible, you will remain with them for the season. There will likely be some opportunity for additional games (subject to other umpires being unavailable), so we may reach out to you on an ad hoc basis. Of course, for our already-badged umpires, we encourage you to umpire as many games as you can, to help build your confidence and skill.

For 2025, we will be using a new program called Refbook to communicate games via the Refbook app. Once you join the roster, you will need to download the app and ‘accept’ your games there.

Is there anything I need to do on the day before the game?
Yes! Prior to your first umpiring game each week, you will need to sign in on the IWNA umpires sheet, which will be located on a table, in front of the main office and Club House at Cintra. It is best to do this for all of your allocated games to umpire each week.

In the case of a trainee and a runner being allocated to the game, both should sign prior to the game.

Please be court-side, ready to umpire 10 minutes prior to the game’s start time. Please check-in with your allocated team’s manager/coach so they know you have arrived.

Prior to game commencing, please check the nails of your team.. Please check for correct uniform, (LWNC dress, or shorts/top, white short socks, appropriate footwear. No jumpers, singlets or leggings can be worn during play. NO Jewellery is allowed, including rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, or any head-dressings.

Don’t forget your whistle and a hair tie. This will be helpful to move from hand to hand, to keep track of who has the next centre pass. In the case of a forgotten whistle, these are available to purchase from the canteen at Cintra.

Do I have to buy an umpire uniform?
No, once you are badged you will receive an umpire shirt from the Club. Until then your LWNC uniform is fine to wear.

How can I get 'badged' and what does this mean?
Being badged means you have met the minimum Club standard to run games on your own. As you get more confident and build up your hours, you can then go for your association badge. Further study/exams are available to accredit to State and National level umpiring.

I’m an experienced, badged umpire and would like to train new umpires, how do I get involved?
Great! If you are Association badged or above, we’d love for you to assist us and help train new umpires. Please reach out to the umpire coordinators with your availability and we’ll assign you to a new umpire to ‘run’ alongside and to provide guidance.

I have a national C badge. How do I top up my accreditation points?
NSW Netball holds a C Camp for association C badged umpires. The topics covered include progression and pathway, positioning and vision, procedures and protocols, and playing the ball. Visit NSW Netball to see when the next course will be held.

Can I umpire for just a couple of games?
Ideally, we would like you to commit to the full season, however, we understand you may have other commitments and wish to umpire on a more casual basis. Please speak with our Umpire Coordinator to discuss availability.

Will all new umpires start in round one?
To set realistic expectations, we always have more new umpires than runners. This means that not all of our newbies will get experience from round 1. The roster always moves around as trainees are badged, and so please be patient with us, rostering is a complex job, with over 70 teams!

Any other questions? Please contact our Umpire Coordinator if you need anything else!