Give Your Game an Edge! Give Your Club A Hand!
Knowing the rules could give you an edge, and maybe a point or 2 in a game! Refereeing is not as hard as you might think, and it is an important part of any sanctioned tournament. In fact, Referees for each game and match is a requirement. Referees ensure fairness across games in a tournament, even in social play. The more you know, the better the game!
The Albany Pickleball Club Referee Clinic gives you everything you need to begin the process and by practicing a little you can get very comfortable with the process. You get to help out the club and you get a front row seat! If you are new to refereeing, We Want You! If you would like a refresher, We Need You!
Our Rally In The Valley Pickleball Tournament will be July 26, 27, and 28th. The Rally is a USAPA sanctioned tournament so we will need referees for each game. You do not need to be a Certified Referee to referee. This will be a 2-2/1 hour clinic put on by Bob Anderson, the Referee Coordinator for the Rally. You will get specific instructions on how to keep score with tricks to keeping it all straight. You will learn what equipment to take to the court with you and how to start a game/match. There is always time for rules discussions for those rules that you have questions about. Plus you will get time to ref with a mentor to get you started. Then, we hope you will practice refereeing with score boards and sheets that we will have available during our organized play times. We will also try to have some mentored ref practice sessions between now and the Rally.
Referee training actually is an underrated way to improve your pickleball game. Knowing the rules and playing by the rules is important in any sport or game. Did you know that there are very few times when we should replay a point? Even in Social play? Many times I will hear “let’s replay since this is just a social game”. So which rules do you ignore? For instance, if you don’t see whether the ball is in or out, or you and your partner disagree, the rules clearly state that the call goes in favor of the other team. Simple, right? But often ignored.There are many other examples where knowing the rules is important.
There are many sources to help you. If you can, review the following:
** Quick Start Referee Video available on the USAPA Website under the tab Rules and Referees and then Referee Training Tools. Or go to it at this website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2QDfbI4ovg
** USAPA Rule Book: https://www.usapa.org/docs/ifp/USAPA-Rulebook.pdf Player Rules Quiz: https://www.usapa.org/rules-quiz/player-test/
**Referee Test: https://www.usapa.org/rules-quiz/referee-test/
Give your game an edge! Knowing the rules may help you gain an extra point in a match. Our ref clinic will teach you not only where you can possibly ‘win’ a couple of ‘free’ points in a match by knowing the rules but it will help you feel confident in refereeing matches.