Umpiring Accreditation

A National C badge umpire must display a basic grasp of game management skills, umpiring techniques and practical application of the rules to penalise obvious infringements. This is an ENTRY-LEVEL BADGE ONLY and testers should not expect a perfect display. To successfully pass the C Badge Practical Assessment, you must be rated as competent on all aspects of the assessable performance criteria.

Accreditation Outcomes

When you successfully obtain your C Badge accreditation, you will have/be able to:
Basic game management skills to keep game moving and maintain player safety in low to average standard matches
Basic procedural competence (late arrivals, failure to take the court, stoppages). Basic positioning and vision skills.
Reactions/timing appropriate for low to average standard matches.
Usually recognises and penalises obvious infringements, both major and minor.
Applies “advantage goal” so as not to disadvantage non-offending team.

To be successful in achieving your ‘B’ badge, you must demonstrate sound game management to maintain control and player safety; umpiring techniques which enable recognition of infringements behind and ahead of play, and the beginnings of application of the advantage rule; more consistent recognition and finer understanding of minor and major infringements; and some ability to distinguish between fair contest and contact that interferes with play.  
To successfully pass the B Badge Practical Assessment, you must be rated as competent on all aspects of the assessable performance criteria.

Accreditation Outcomes

On obtainment of this accreditation, you will be able to:

Have sound game management and implementation of procedures.
Some understanding of when measures need to be taken to keep game safe (for example, overt unsportsmanlike conduct or dangerous play)
Can position and have vision that is not restricted to the immediate area where the ball is or the bulk of players are, to take into account what is happening behind and ahead of play.
Be more consistent recognition of minor infringements and more refined understanding 
Obstruction: beginning to understand implications of rule beyond simple 0.9m defence; beginning to recognise use of arms to limit movement of player without ball; obvious defending out of court.
Contact: beginning to go beyond obvious examples of interference to distinguishing fair contest from contact (understanding body movements, including recognizing when a player or players cause an opponent to interfere).
Advantage: vision skills allow some recognition of context of play and some assessment of what is of advantage to the non-offending team.

The A Badge Umpiring Accreditation, the third step in the Netball Australia National Umpiring Development Framework.  

To be successful in obtaining your  ‘A’ badge you must demonstrate a detailed understanding and application of all aspects of game management. 

There is an expectation that positioning, vision and timing will be guided by play and informed by an understanding of the game context, which allows for a more refined application of advantage. 

Rule interpretations should demonstrate an understanding of the rule, an attention to detail and common sense in application. There should be a high level of consistency across both minor and major infringements, with only minor errors observed.

Regarding contact, this includes distinguishing between fair contest and contact that interferes and identifying and penalising causing contact and inevitable contact. 

Accreditation Outcomes

On obtainment of this accreditation, you will be able to:

Have a detailed understanding and application of all aspects of game management, including foul play (13.2) and the actions that may be taken by umpires (13.1, 13.3).
Have an understanding that positioning, vision, and timing will be guided by play and informed by an understanding of the game context. General principles are consistently executed, including adapting positioning and vision to specific circumstances to secure best view of play.
This in turn allows a more refined application of the Advantage Rule, which allows the game to flow without losing control or undermining the standards set for game management.
Be able to interpret the rules and demonstrate an understanding of the rule, an attention to detail and a common-sense application in the game context.
Have a high level of consistency across both minor and major infringements.  

The National AA badge is the final step in the Netball Australia Development Umpiring pathway.  

The AA badge is an elite umpiring qualification reserved for candidates who display the highest levels of technical proficiency, rule understanding and game management.

You must have a complete understanding of all aspects of game management which allows necessary procedures to be implemented promptly and professionally when they are required; good judgement and ‘game sense’ to ensure that the available actions are used at the right time and for the right purpose. 

Positioning, vision and timing work together to be in the best place at the right time, even when this is counter-intuitive.  You must be able to read the play to adapt to different paces, patterns, and styles of play with minimal disruption to time and decision-making. 

Accreditation Outcomes

When you successfully obtain your AA Badge accreditation, you will have: 

A complete understanding of all aspects of game management which allows necessary procedures to be implemented promptly and professionally when they are required; good judgment and “game sense” to ensure that the available actions are used at the right time and for the right purpose.
Excellent positioning, vision, and timing work together to be in the best place at the right time, even when this is counter intuitive. You can read the play to adapt to different paces, patterns, and styles of play with minimal disruption to timing and decision-making.
A high level of decisional accuracy across major and minor infringements makes decisions quickly and precisely and applies them efficiently. 
The ability to demonstrates consistency and expertise in application of the Contact and Advantage Rule to enhance the contest and allow skilled play to occur, while maintaining control and ensuring that no team is unduly disadvantaged.

**The AA badge should not be seen as a “natural progression” from the A badge. It is an elite umpiring qualification reserved for candidates who display the highest levels of technical proficiency, rule understanding and game management.

The Foundation Umpire Course is one of the pre-requisites for obtaining a National C Badge.

Coaches and players are also encouraged to complete the course to further support their understanding of the game.

Successful completion of the course provides you with one of the required pre-requisites for a National C Badge.

Intermediate Umpire Course (coming soon)

The Elite Umpire Course is for those umpires looking at refining their skills in a high-performance environment. It has been designed to further develop umpiring skills, techniques, and increase understanding of the procedures and protocols of a higher level of umpiring.

The Elite Umpire Course is a pre-requisite for obtaining a National A Badge.

The Rules of Netball Theory Examination tests the basic rules of the game.
It is an online examination that is accessible all year. A certificate is generated for all candidates who achieve a pass (70% or above). The most recent examination mark is the current result and Pass marks are valid for 4 years.
It is highly recommended that prior to commencing this exam you read a copy of the Rules of Netball (2024)

Each badge level must obtain a certain mark to ensure they have met the prerequisite