Officials

About the CBOC

The Canadian Basketball Officials Commission (CBOC) is a committee under the auspices of Canada Basketball that promotes, advocates for and provides a transparent, accountable and consistent governance structure for the organization, administration, growth and development of basketball officiating and officials through-out Canada.

Goals:

  • Strengthen alignment between players, coaches, officials and the entire basketball community across Canada.

  • Leading and empowering officials with a consistent clear message and philosophy that builds an inclusive culture creating a strong and positive environment fostering equity.

  • Enhance the development of quality basketball officiating in Canada through a structured, supported, and transparent official’s pathway and standardized training program.

  • Support the transition of Provincial Basketball Officials Associations (PBOA) to a model of Provincial Basketball Officials Commissions (PBOC) under the auspices of Provincial/Territorial Sport Organizations to be responsible for the organization, administration, growth, and development of basketball officiating and basketball officials within their Province.

  • Governance of an officiating structure that supports all basketball competition structure including 5v5, 3x3, wheelchair basketball; officiated by CBOC trained and licensed officials.

  • Building aligned structures with partners – U SPORTS, CCAA, CEBL and others; to create optimal relationships and support high level performance.

  • Coordinate and support the implementation of Safe Sport and risk management strategies.

  • Lead in the area of recruitment and retention of officials, with a focus towards younger age, as well as gender and racial inclusivity of officials in the system.

  • Strengthen relationship with FIBA, leading to targeting and creating an official’s depth chart to foster growth of excellence and high performance.

For a more detailed summary of CBOC’s vision, mission and values, click here.

CBOC Executive Council & Committees

CBOC is governed by a seven-member Executive Council , comprised of 4 Officials Commissioners, and Commissioners representing key basketball stakeholders, Canada Basketball, U SPORTS and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)

Name

Position

Tim Heide

Chair

Martha Bradbury

Secretary Treasurer

John McFarland

National Educator

Georgia Risnita

EDI Commissioner

Barbara Hamilton-Hinch

Canada Basketball Commissioner

Melanie Gerin-Lajoie

CCAA Commissioner

Vacant

U SPORTS Commissioner

The CBOC Executive Council is supported by a Committee structure. Standing Committees include:

  • Development & Education Committee

  • National Tournament Selection & Evaluation Committee

  • Rules Education and Exam Committee

  • CABO Legacy and Awards & Recognition Committee

  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee

The CBOC Executive Council is further supported by a Working Group structure. The Working Groups focused on immediate priorities in support of establishing the CBOC Governance structure and setting CBOC on the right course to achieving its goals and mandate. Working Groups will be formed on an Ad Hoc as needed basis.

Development & Education

The Canadian Basketball Referee Development Program is a comprehensive development pathway for referees from local community league games to being a FIBA referee at international events.

This program has been developed by the Canada Basketball Officials Commission (CBOC) in partnership with Canada Basketball and the Provincial Basketball Officials Associations. It is based on the Canada Basketball Long Term Development Plan and aligns the referee framework with player and coach frameworks, competitions and tournaments.

The Referee Development Pathway includes five levels:

  • Community Referee (NOCP 1)

    This is the entry level for referees who will begin their refereeing at a school age or local youth leagues.

  • Competitive Referee (NOCP 2)

    This is a higher level of training for referees who want to continue their refereeing at the junior and senior high school level, club team and the adult league level.

  • Provincial Referee (NOCP 3)

    This is the essential course for referees who want to referee at provincial age-group championships and is also recommended for referees officiating at secondary school, Provincial High-Performance Teams and Provincial College and U SPORTS basketball.

  • National Referee (NOCP 4)

    Once Provincial Referees have met the requirements for regular officiating and have attended a U-15 or U-17 National Championship or equivalent, they can be assessed to become a National Referee.  National Referees are eligible to referee all levels of basketball in Canada below the FIBA level.

  • FIBA Referee (NOCP 5)

    Referees who show outstanding potential to reach and maintain the elite FIBA license level if given the opportunity can be nominated for FIBA selection. All nominees will be recommended by CBOC to Canada Basketball and approved by the National Federation Referee Selection Committee. FIBA Referees officiate all international basketball including the FIBA World Cup and the Olympics.

Each level is comprised of three developmental phases:

  • In-Training

    This is the entry phase, where the official has just started or has completed some of the required training and education components.

  • Trained

    The official has completed all learning and training components.

  • Certified

    The official has completed all evaluation and assessment requirements.

Each developmental level aims to equip referees with the rule’s knowledge and practical skills to referee at the relevant level of competition. Progress through the levels and phases is achieved through a mixture of theory, training and practical assessment.

Formal development through courses and assessments is supported by informal learning available to referees through a range of opportunities. For a more detailed overview of the NOCP Pathway, we recommend reviewing the CBOC Development Guide available here.

What is Game Plan?

Game Plan is the new platform dedicated to official’s education in Canada. Officials are able to register for a free Game Plan account which provides access to a number of features. Become a CBOC member today to unlock tons of different tools and resources including:

  • The annual FIBA Exam

  • CBOC curated videos on officiating techniques

  • Access to newly developed CBOC Educational Resources

  • Registering for the CB FIBA Statisticians Program

  • Register for a number of Referee Clinics across the country

  • Online Training Modules & Webinars for further development

  • Monthly communication through the Whistle Blast

To stay connected with what is happening in officiating across the country, register for a Game PlanOfficials account.

How to Register

To register for a Game Plan officials account:

  • Go to https://gameplanbasketball.ca

  • Click on the “Officials” button (on the top of the page)

  • Click on the “Register” button (on left side of page, see circle in the image below).

  • Complete the required fields to successfully create your account

If you are having difficulties creating an account, click on the following manual for more in depth instructions: How to Create a Game Plan Account