USA Basketball/FIBA Registration Process
 

Hello all! Does anyone in this forum work basketball in the United States of America under FIBA rules? If so, how did you get started, and join USA Basketball and/or FIBA itself?

I have done some background reading about the process, and know that FIBA only accepts referees (its term for on-court officials) and commissioners (officials who act as supervisors for the table officials, similar to a Chief Bench Official in lacrosse) who are registered with the appropriate national federation (which in the case of the United States is USA Basketball), each federation has a limit on the number of licences that can be granted to it, depending on rankings, number of currently licensed officials, nominations to international tournaments, etc., and that all officials who are licensed by FIBA are licensed for 2-year cycles starting in odd years (2017-2019, 2019-21, etc.).

I know that I have to be registered with USA Basketball to be able to potentially register with FIBA in the future (I'm 24 now, and will reach the age of 25 on May 10, 2019, so the first cycle that I could get a FIBA licence in would probably be 2021-23). How would I do so?

I have read the instructions on the https://www.usab.com/news-events/new...s-program.aspx website, but it does not appear that they have been updated since 2016 (The referenced deadlines are all 2016 dates, and the rulebook used on the website is the 2014 edition). Do the procedures listed still apply (physical examination, letters of recommendation, written rules test, application), or has USAB changed the process?

Finally, who else, besides USA Basketball, assigns basketball games in the US that use FIBA rules (preferably in the Mid-Atlantic region)? I'll need to get practice in applying FIBA rules on the court, because there are some differences (the traveling rule allows players to make a "zero step" when gathering the ball, which is not allowed in NFHS or NCAA basketball, the goal does not count on a blarge (or other double foul) that happens during an apparent score, a ball lodged between the ring and backboard is not considered as a jump ball without team control, and overtime does not start with a jump ball) between FIBA and US basketball that affect officiating and gameplay. I would not want to make a US call in a FIBA game or vice-versa :o.

Just because the instructions are old does not mean thet're not applicable still. I would think there is contact information within all that literature you've been studying.

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And again you are all over the place. Commenting about not wanting to make an United States call in a FIBA game. You haven't even made it to a tryout yet and you're already worried about the minutiae of what happens in a game. And I know of absolutely no games or tournaments that use FIBA rules in this area.

There is an official named Matthew Myers in the DC area who works FIBA. I'm sure somebody you know knows him. Or Google "Terry Moore FIBA Basketball". And don't you have access to Albert Battista? Send him an email and ask some of these questions.

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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.

Raymond, sent you a PM.

Matt:

I did not receive your PM so I sent you one.

MTD, Sr.

Basketball Canada Registered Members of the Forum.
 

I am sure that our members who live in the Great White North can enlighten us regarding how the process in Canada works. Thanks.

MTD, Sr.

In Canada, there are presently 14 FIBA licensed officials. I'm not knowledgeable about all the details but I do know that each provincial association can nominate candidates to Canada Basketball. From there, the numbers are narrowed down and those nominees attend a tryout camp which is normally in conjunction with a tournament. Very few are nominated and fewer still are selected. The 14 officials on the list are all top notch university officials in Canada.

I would assume that USA Basketball does something similar. Whenever I see an international tournament being refereed by an American official, they are always NBA or NCAA Division 1 officials.

C'mon, man. How would you react if you found out that a long-time member of your association was an NBA official with an international Black (senior level men's and women's) Licence? I would be proud if there was someone from my board who worked his way up the levels and was recognized both in the US and internationally for his ability. If anyone approached me and said that he (or she) wanted to become a high-level NCAA/(W)NBA/FIBA official, I would welcome that person, teach him what I know, and direct him to people more knowledgeable than myself, to help him advance.

The fact that I know some of the major (and minor) differences between US and FIBA rules and their applications is not "minutiae" as you put it, but proof that I am serious about wanting to become a high-level basketball official in the long term. Thank you for the names. I'll look them up on LinkedIn and send them emails.

Maybe, one day I might be working the Final Four, American Basketball Championship, NBA Finals, or the Olympic Games. But that is way ahead in the future, and my more immediate goals are working varsity basketball and getting started with USA Basketball. I can take FIBA exams until I'm blue in the face, but unless I am actually able to apply FIBA rules to the appropriate games, just as I would apply NFHS rules (with appropriate modifications) to high school games in DC and MD, NCAA rules to college games, etc., being in USA Basketball is pointless. The process is not overly transparent to me (I have tried to get a hold of USA Basketball, but they are not exactly easy to reach (I emailed Ellis Dawson, but he did not respond, nor have I been able to get consistent responses from USA Basketball when calling the office in Colorado Springs)), so I would appreciate any help that I could get, even from an environment as impersonal as an online forum.

I'm kind of lost with this part of your response. Are you saying there is a such a person associated with your association?

This part is more hypothetical than the others, but Board 12 (and MBOA) do count NBA officials among their members, including Scott Foster and Gediminas Petraitis. I would not be surprised if either of these two were also current Black Licence holders in FIBA.

Never seen Foster's name associated with FIBA and G is pretty young.

I guarantee you Al Battista knows the process and/or who to get in touch with. Mathew Myers is most definitely a FIBA official and lives in your area.

Olympics ...
 

We had a guy on our local IAABO board who worked at least two Olympic tournaments. It was cool to hear some of his stories, but only if he was asked, otherwise he was really humble about his experience. We were all proud to have him as a member of our local board.

Connecticut huh? Jose Carrion?

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