USA Basketball/FIBA Registration Process

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Since 1992, the process to become a FIBA official is a two part process.

1) Any basketball official in the U.S. can become a USA Baseketball Referee. It requires the completion of the application form, a physical performed by the official's own doctor, and passing an open book exam on FIBA Rules. This is done every year.

2) To become a FIBA official USA Basketball nominates USA Basketball Referees to go through the process to be a registered FIBA Official. The officials normally nominated are NCAA Division I men's and women's officials and NBA and WNBA officials.

This process is pretty much the same in all countries.

MTD, Sr.


P.S. I was an USA Basketball Referee from 1992 to 2003.

P.P.S. 1) When the foreign teams play college team in the pre-season, those games are sanctioned through USA Basketball and the foreign team's National Governing Body. The games are played using NCAA Rules. Technically, the games were to be officiated by college officials who were also USA Basketball Referee, but that was not always the case. 2) The only organization that uses FIBA Rules is AAU Men's Basketball and those games are far and few between. You would be better off trying to become a college basketball official in Canada because basketball at all levels excluding the Toronto Rapters are played using FIBA Rules.