What do I need before I can referee, and to get National League appointments?
Rule- England
- Basketball England
- FIBA rules
- FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026
- All ages
- 2026/27
- Referees
To referee any game
- A Basketball England referee licence, bought before you referee any game (including Level 2 assessment games), plus Basketball England membership.
- Over 16: a DBS check and a safeguarding self-declaration. Over 18: a safeguarding qualification as well.
- For National League (NBL) games, officials working with children need a clear enhanced DBS check valid for three years and Basketball England safeguarding training, and must show proof of the right to work in the UK when applying for a licence.
For NBL1, WNBL1, NBL2 and WNBL2 appointments (2026/27)
- Pass the pre-season rules test.
- Take the fitness test: at least 66 laps (8 minutes) for NBL1/WNBL1 and 56 laps (7 minutes) for NBL2/WNBL2. Not taking it, or not meeting the standard, leads to restricted appointments.
When a home club appoints you to a Junior NBL or Division Three game, you must be fully licensed, have no family playing in the fixture and not be registered in the same competition. If you're under 18, your co-official must be at least 18 and Level 2 or above. The crew chief must be independent of the home club.
Added 21 Oct 2026