2008 Referees Action Day Report

With the school holidays having started, it meant a weekend off for all associated with the junior domestic competition. Well, that couldn't be said of the referees at the Hawthorn Basketball Association. At the start of the year, the Referees Development Committee at Hawthorn was formed to look after the best interests of our referees and to improve the level of refereeing in the association. An initiative of the association was the revival of the Referees Action Day, which was held on Saturday. It was a chance for our referees to learn and improve on their skills and rule knowledge.

The first part of the day had all the referees break up into 5 different groups, with each group rotating through a series of workshops on various topics. Gary Macdonald with the assistance of Sophie Forde and Becky Allen discussed the intricacies of the dreaded charge/block call. Nick Crowe resembled an untalented breakdancer as he attempted to explain the travel rule while Tommy Dale explained that the centre line is part of the backcourt in discussing the backcourt violation. Furry and Angela utilised technology in the form of video footage to demonstrate the concept of team control and game management. Tim Dunlea emphasised the importance of good communication while MIT and Tom Fooks talked mechanics.

Next up was a presentation by Ash Mai which discussed the various stages of the game and how a referee should present themselves. This was followed by a discussion about the process of reporting players and the tribunal which was conducted by Tom Fooks.

To help the referees absorb all of this information, the Nandos Peri Peri chicken was served for lunch.

Finally, the referees of Hawthorn were lucky enough to have the Victorian Basketball Referees Association (VBRA) President Steven Chadd pay them a visit and talk to them about game management and conflict resolution.

All in all, it was an invaluable day for our referees as they gave up their weekend off to further enhance their wealth of knowledge and no doubt this will be reflected with their decision making on the court!

Thanks to Bendigo Bank, Nandos and AND1 who made the day possible with their sponsorship.

2007 Referees Break up and Presentation Night
2006 Referees Break Up and Awards
Referees Action Day Photos in the Gallery