March 26, 2021
AllOfficials Presents: The Official Buddy System
- Groundbreaking as it’s never been done before.
- A way for qualified officials to make more money
- Couples with our Radio-Ref Initiative
Just starting out? Why not check out our new buddy system?
We know starting out in any new job is hard; it’s always a little bit daunting and beginning your new role as a Basketball Official is no different. But say goodbye to your worries because we’ve got a solution: the Buddy system.
Our new feature allows newly qualified or inexperienced Officials to work alongside or be “buddied” with a more experienced Official on the court, during a game.
Why choose the buddy system?
We’ve noticed a growing trend that we want to counteract. Currently, according to David Butler (the delivery director from Basketball England), only 1% of qualified Officials in London are actively looking for work
Many newly qualified officials are finding it difficult to put their new skills into use. This is often due to a lack of confidence, and little to no knowledge on the opportunities available to them to where they can develop their skills. However, with the buddy system, they are given the opportunity to be mentored by an experienced official.*
Our buddy system benefits experienced Officials too! Mentoring a newly qualified Official gives experienced Officials the opportunity to develop their skills. This opportunity comes as a refresher for experienced officials. The hard work of our mentors doesn’t go unnoticed; AllOfficials will compensate any time spent mentoring on the court by either 10% or £5 minimum, whichever is more for the event they officiate.
*Please note: If you request a buddy, we can’t always guarantee that you will get one. Particularly for urgent events it may not be feasible to find a mentoring official.
We are also coupling this experience with our new Radio-Ref initiative to make the buddy-ing process even easier! With Radio-Ref, you will be able to seamlessly communicate with your mentor/mentee to make you feel as comfortable as possible on the court. Click here to find out more about Radio-Ref!
Precondition
We want mentoring officials to understand the importance of their role, its standards and the responsibilities associated with it. Professionalism must be maintained at all times. While we hope to create an environment that enables officials to teach each other and grow the game, you can be removed from your role as a mentor. If an Event Organiser files a complaint, AllOfficials will thoroughly investigate the matter and disciplinary actions may be taken, if need be. We reserve the right to prevent you from working with that organiser or associated officials again. However, if the investigation finds any serious misconduct, you will be removed from your role as a mentor official. Additionally, if you receive multiple reviews that take you below a star rating of 3.0, you would have to work your way back to a favourable rating in order to regain your mentor status.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: If you’re a level 2 Official, you automatically can work as a buddy/mentor. However, if you’ve refereed 12 or more games on AllOfficials as a level 1 official or higher, you are also
qualified to become a buddy/mentor.
A: There are no specific tasks to complete, but we do have guidelines you need to follow to ensure you get the most out of the system:
Guidelines
- Communicate with your buddy to ensure you arrive at the venue at the same time.
- Warm up together, you may be able to teach each other some new things!
- Brief your buddy on what to expect. Assign specific roles Keep your communication constant, especially during breaks.
- Make sure you have an end of game debrief and give your buddy advice so that they can improve their skills for their next game.
- Most importantly, have fun!
A: Alongside talking during mini-breaks within the game (TOs, fouls, etc), you can utilise our Radio-Ref technology. Click here to find out more.
A: Of course not! There’s no obligation for you to be a buddy/mentor but we do want to encourage everyone to work together. You can easily contact our admin team who can remove you as a buddy/mentor.
A: You’re only a buddy for a single event but you can choose to buddy Officials for different events. It’s a part of our All-Prentice programme, to help with quality assurance. You can always inform the admin as of when you do not want to be a buddy, just note this may give you access to fewer games.
A: Great question! You won’t get to choose your buddy or mentor. It’s likely you will have a different one for each event.
The buddy system works in two ways:
- On the job board, there is a tick box that says ‘I want a buddy’. As an official looking for a buddy, you can tick this.
- As an experienced official, you can choose to be a part of that job.
If the experienced Official signs up first, the new Official can request to be a buddy for a job.
A: You are buddied for a single game, so it is likely you will not have the same buddy more than once. Switching buddies is only possible if you or the buddy cancels.
A: At present, no. But you can always contact our admin team with any feedback or if you would like to highlight anything.
March 26, 2021
Introducing Our All-Prentice Program
The All-Prentice scheme is the quality control assurance of AllOfficials.
It uses four key mechanisms to assure a quality experience for Event Organisers, Officials and ultimately, the players and fans involved.
1. Knowledge
First of all, your knowledge is key. It is paramount that you understand that the basis of officiating starts with what you know. We are pleased to have a great team of trained officials who developed themselves through the courses we offer. We provide courses to teach those who have little or no knowledge about officiating.
On AllOfficials Learn, you can find courses for Level 1 Referee and Level 1 Table Official if you’re keen to start your career. If you have a passion for making an impact in the community by helping and motivating young people, then go ahead and apply. The best thing is you can do all this and get you some cash!
We also offer Refresher course to keep officials updated with new rules and trends in the sport. The refresher courses are free for our officials that completed their Level 1 course with us.
Event Organizers can take comfort knowing we’re not done there. After a prospective official demonstrates technical knowledge through the courses, we utilise two methods to maintain excellence on the court.
2. Buddy
Our on-court development starts with our Buddy System. The Buddy System is a mentorship program that enables experienced officials to help rookies while earning extra cash! To qualify as a mentor and senior official one must complete a minimum of 12 games and have a rating above 3 stars. Click on the link above for more information.
We want mentoring officials to understand the importance of their role, its standards and the responsibilities associated with it. Professionalism must be maintained at all times. While we hope to create an environment that enables officials to teach each other and grow the game, you can be removed from your role as a mentor.
After 30 games of great service and reviews our best officials will be given the opportunity to become assessors. This means they will share and evaluate prospective officials. In doing so they are expected to share their knowledge and ensure a high standard of officiating so Event Organizers can manage their events without worrying (so much) about the officials.
3. Radio Ref
To facilitate communication between senior and rookie officials we are offering the opportunity to use Radio-Ref technology. Radio-Ref technology is quite unheard of but it is extremely effective; it enables the rookie and senior officials to communicate during the game without disrupting the flow of the event by shouting across the court. It’s a rarity for youth and recreational games, but works amazingly well. It has gotten great reviews by our trusted officials and is proven to help people become more confident and competent. Click the link above to learn more.
4. Ratings
After an event is completed we gather feedback from AllOfficials and Event Organisers involved. They have the opportunity to rank, critique and praise each other through our app. If you have any issues with an Official or Event Organiser you can always contact admin via email at admin@allofficials.co.uk or call our landline at 03301200395 and we will be sure to sort it out.
It’s important for our community to rate one another as there are a number of benefits to it such as:
- officials, they can get more jobs and earn more money.
- for event organizers, there is an option to choose which officials they prefer to work with
- we have categories such as: top ranked, favourites, and recently used, to make it easier
***If you get below 3-stars, they cannot see any jobs on the job board unless they are urgent, that way you can redeem yourself.
Notes
All-Prentice has exclusive rights.
- All-Prentice was introduced because we wanted quality assurance for our clients.
- All-Prentice works alongside the AllOfficials and can be accessed using the AllOfficials app.
- Connects people with highly skilled and qualified referees.
- Event organisers have the option to post what they need on the app.
- AllOfficials help people become qualified and employable officials.
March 26, 2021
Radio Equipment for Referees
A key to officials doing a great job is communication. During the game it may be hard, but AllOfficials has a solution!
With our All-Prentice scheme to ensure quality service and as part of the buddy system which helps develop rookies, we’re pleased to introduce our Radio-Ref feature.
We will provide the senior or mentor official with a speakable radio they can easily put in their pocket and through their shirt. The less experienced official will have a subtle earpiece attached to the radio in which they can listen to the mentor.
Instead of needing to shout and disrupt the game or wait until a break, the officials can confer via the radios. This will allow officials to communicate more effectively, giving instructions such as where to position themselves and/or what to watch for on the court.
This means that officials can cooperate and communicate during gameplay. It allows for expedited development of novice officials and gives mentor officials greater leadership opportunities. It’s a win-win that aids individual improvement and ensures overall quality of the event.
We have researched this technology to test how effective it is, and 100% of people said it was an enjoyable experience! We found you can gain valuable knowledge about gameplay as well as confidence through this initiative, allowing for a better experience for the Officials AND everyone else involved!
Top Tips
Instill confidence, but let them know they should perform to the best of their ability to give them certain rules to focus on i.e. travelling or blowing their whistle hard every time.
- Introduce yourself (via text or whatever method of communication) 24 hours before the event, if possible, and inform them of what they can expect generally and of this game specifically
- Arrive early and have a brief chat to address any questions or concerns you both may have
- Provide inexperienced officials with certain keys to the match, such as specific rules to focus on i.e. lifting a pivot foot too early, hand-checking, etc
- Instill confidence in your partner
- Manage the balance of allowing officials to grow and develop themselves, while holding them accountable
While we hope you follow the suggestions, some guidelines are non-negotiable and must be followed.
- During timeouts and play stoppages, address any questions that may have arisen from previous scenarios
- Communication should be limited to relevant basketball and officiating conversations
- Instruction should be provided as needed, and not excessively
- Feedback should be positive and constructive; the aim is to help each other, not criticise
- Both officials should treat each other with respect, thus no yelling, cursing or abusive language
- At no point should the use of Radio-Ref distract from the primary objective of seeing and officiating the events
- Accept that mistakes will be made and not every call nor aspect of the event should be scrutinized
If, at any point, the inexperienced official chooses to, they can turn off the radio. Alongside this we also encourage officials to talk amongst themselves during any stoppages and afterwards to rank, critique and praise one another on our app.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: After completing 20 games, AllOfficials will provide a radio to mentor/senior officials. We will notify you once you are eligible and then you must apply to get a radio. Please contact us via our email at admin@allofficials.co.uk to fulfil your application.
A: After completing your application and receiving approval from AllOfficials we will grant you a code with a website link to to obtain your radios (comes as a pair).
A: Your radio comes with instructions.
A: Once receiving your radio, you own it. All maintenance and damages, including for individual parts, are your responsibility and not that of AllOfficials.
Code of Conduct for maintaining radio:
- Ensure cleaning before and after each match
- Charge the radio fully ahead of each game
- Provide your partner official with the radio ahead of each game, as well as instructing them on proper use
- Keep both radios protected and together when not in use
- All damages, including for missing parts, are the exclusive responsibility of the owner
*Radios are subject to t&c’s and stock.
*Radios are subject to terms & conditions and stock.
January 31, 2020
Host Feature
As an event organiser, you have spoken and we have listened!
September 16, 2019
Grab a DBS for up to 70% off
We’re giving access to discounts of up to 70% off! But for a limited time only!