What are the referee certification levels in Canada?
- Canada
- Canada Basketball
- FIBA rules
- NOCP
- 2026-27
- Referees
The Canadian Basketball Referee Development Program (NOCP) was developed by the Canadian Basketball Officials Commission (CBOC) with Canada Basketball and the Provincial Basketball Officials Associations. It has five levels:
- Community Referee (NOCP 1): entry level, for school-age referees and local youth leagues.
- Competitive Referee (NOCP 2): junior and senior high school, club team and adult league games.
- Provincial Referee (NOCP 3): the essential course for provincial age-group championships; also recommended for secondary school, Provincial High-Performance Teams, Provincial College and U SPORTS basketball.
- National Referee (NOCP 4): a Provincial Referee must meet regular officiating requirements and attend a U15 or U17 National Championship (or equivalent) before assessment. National Referees can officiate all levels of basketball in Canada below FIBA level.
- FIBA Referee (NOCP 5): nominated for outstanding potential; CBOC recommends nominees to Canada Basketball and the National Federation Referee Selection Committee approves them. FIBA Referees officiate international basketball, including the FIBA World Cup and the Olympics.
Each level is applied in three developmental phases: In-Training (started, or completed some required training), Trained (all learning and training components done) and Certified (all evaluation and assessment requirements done). Levels 1 to 4 are labelled A, B and C for these phases (for example 3B is Provincial Referee, Trained).
Updated 25 Oct 2026