Officiating
Officiating
For all Wiltshire officiating queries, please email the County Officiating Lead, Caroline Cavanagh
When you complete an officiating award, please ensure that you inform Caroline as soon as possible. All course bookings will be managed by EN online and all learners will need full EN membership to book a course online.
Routes to Umpiring and Officiating
If you are interested in officiating, there are routes through England Netball that will let you build your skills, confidence and qualifications to umpire or officiate. You can register your interest in any of the officiating routes by completing the expression of interest form on the EN website this will ensure that you receive alerts about upcoming courses.
Into Officiating
The Into Officiating Award is the mandatory first step for all new learners. Learners must attend an Into Officiating course and pass the Into Officiating practical assessment before moving on to a C Award course.
Learners who have already attended a C Award course but haven’t yet passed the C Award written paper and/or the C Award practical pre-assessment will not need to pass the Into Officiating practical assessment before progressing with their C Award.
Into Officiating course is comprised of two 2-hour interactive virtual sessions delivered via Zoom. There are specific courses provided for our budding umpires who are under 18. Learners will each receive a hard copy resource, a whistle and a rule book prior to the course. The cost of the course will be £45 per learner.
Following completion of the course, you will then develop your practical skills through umpiring appropriate level games. We have mentors available to support your development and when ready, you will be invited to apply for your practical assessment (fee applies)
C Award
The C Award written paper will be taken online. C Award course is comprised of two 1.5 hour interactive virtual sessions delivered via Zoom. Each learner will receive an electronic resource to support the course delivery. Once the virtual course has been completed, the learner will be invited to take their C Award written paper online. The cost of the course (including one attempt at the C Award written paper) will be £50 per learner.
You will then be given the opportunity to develop your skills as an umpire through umpiring appropriate level games. When deemed ready, you will be invited to apply for your practical assessment (fee applies).
B Award
The B Award course is designed for those umpires who wish to take the next step on the umpire pathway and officiate matches at a regional level. This blended course will build on current knowledge, introduce additional techniques and provide learner’s with examples and exercises in a practical setting to develop their performances on court.
The B Award course is comprised of two 1.5 hour interactive virtual sessions delivered via Zoom and will be followed up by a 2-hour practical session (delivered face to face). Each learner will receive an electronic resource to support the course delivery. The cost of the course will be £70 per learner.
The B Award will require some travel to games to get the required experience of higher level play and you will be supported in getting the experience required to prepare you for the practical assessment (fee applies).
Umpiring is a very rewarding way to be involved in our sport. It can enhance players by making them more aware of the rules. It can be a great way for parents to get more actively involved with the game that their children love and it can also be one way of many ways to stay involved in the sport after retiring from playing.
If you are interested in umpiring but would like to know about what is involved, please contact Caroline for an informal chat.
Independent Umpires
If you’re serious about officiating and don’t wish to be linked to a netball club, you can join England Netball directly or through Wiltshire County Netball Association. This membership is ideal for both qualified or aspiring umpires that would like to access the officiating pathway, but are not currently linked to (or do not want to show allegiance to) a netball club.
With the protection that comes with liability and personal injury insurance during recognised and authorised netball activity, you can keep your mind fully focused on the game.
You can download an Independent Membership registration form here. Application is through Wiltshire County Netball Association.
The Rules of Netball have Changed!
Following an extensive consultation period, World Netball has updated the Rules of Netball.
For more detailed information on the rule changes and to download the rules app click on the image.
With 3 million players annually, netball has the reach and responsibility to act. As a sport built by women, for women, it is working to remove the barriers that push girls out of the game.
England Netball Chief Executive Officer Fran Connolly said:
"We want netball to be somewhere that everyone can belong, flourish and soar and, as the sport continues to grow at all levels, there is no doubt that the question of kit is an important one. Mandating our inclusive kit guidance as policy is an important step in removing perceived barriers to participation and ensuring our sport is inclusive and open to all.
"Importantly, the policy does not ban the use of dresses, which remain a proud and recognisable part of our sport's history, but it does act to ensure that the dress is never the reason that someone feels they don't belong in the sport, removing kit policy as a potential barrier to participation in netball."
EN Members can read more about the policy in the E-News letter, or please head over to the NSW Website to view the full guidance and policy.
#netball #gameforlife #onandbeyondthecourt
Huge thank you to Mireille from SDNA for sharing this brilliant event and some of the lovely words she shared on the day with us.
'Your dedication to the growth of netball for all ages has been instrumental in providing amazing opportunities for huge numbers of girls, boys and ladies across the county and Swindon. You were the trailblazers, drivers, setting up clubs, providing the coaching, umpiring and offering a service to your communities. You laid the foundations for others to take over the helms and continue to drive netball developments and the value of the work that you have all initiated as volunteers with a love and passion for netball cannot be truly measured. The impact that you have all had on so many athletes over so many years cannot be truly measured but is often realised in conversations and reflections that we have with one another
The impact and imprint you have all had over decades is a testament to the wonderful people that you all are. Years of selfless service to support and develop netballers of all levels and abilities and provide inclusive opportunities.'
