British Dodgeball is actively recruiting new referees from both within and outside the dodgeball community. We are recruiting referees across all areas of the UK to support the ever growing demand for dodgeball events at all age groups.
New Referee Training
Training consists of blended learning; first you need to complete the Introduction to Officiating Dodgeball online course and then complete a shadowing session working with a referee mentor. You can start training now by completing the Work With Us form.
The full process is outlined in this document:
Referees play a pivotal role in the enjoyment and wellbeing of players of all ages and abilities in our sport. The British Dodgeball Referee Standards have been created to support the development of match officials in the UK. These standards assist in providing high quality, constructive developmental feedback in a consistent manner across the following 5 areas: Rules Application, Game Management, Communication, Safety and Core Values.
Our Refereeing Core Values are as follows:
- Demonstrating a Professional Attitude
- Adopting a Learning Culture
- Understanding the Bigger Picture of how each dodgeball event and positive player experience promotes the sport in the UK
Ongoing Referee Training:
- Receive tailored support, advice and feedback from your regional Referee Mentor – find out who they are by emailing aden@britishdodgeball.com
- Receive ongoing support, advice and feedback from the Referee Manager via regular referee development webinars. Attend Referee Development Webinars booked in as below:
| Date | Time | Subject | Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 24th April 2023 | 7pm-8pm | New Referees - Game Management & Questions | New & less confident referees |
- Regularly self-reflect and complete the Referee Self-Assessment:
Reporting Abuse:
Abuse towards referees or any other staff member is not tolerated by British Dodgeball, and is directly in contravention of the British Dodgeball Code of Conduct. We encourage all referees to report any abusive behaviour they experience to hello@britishdodgeball.com in order to escalate the matter.
British Dodgeball recommend that all competitive dodgeball matches are officiated by 2 main referees and 4 assistant referees for all age groups aged U15 and upwards.
Being an assistant referee is an extremely important job in dodgeball, because you have a direct impact on the game you officiate. This Role of Referees document and video below have been created to help you understand the positioning and roles of main referees and assistant referees, and cover some frequently asked questions.
Referee mentors are key components of our comprehensive Referee Development Pathway. Referee mentors are experienced individuals with strong communication skills and the drive to develop the sport of dodgeball within the UK. They teach others to be accountable to the Refereeing Standards and to develop their ability to make effective decisions quickly, applying rules knowledge and interpersonal skills to real-life situations more effectively.
There is one referee mentor allocated to each region of the UK, and each acts as a focal point for that region. They conduct referee training and are on hand in an informal capacity to clarify rules, offer advice and act as a link between British Dodgeball and referees.
More information is available in the document below:
To apply to join the Referee Mentor team, please visit the Work With Us page.
Referee Mentors
Coming soon!
As part of our commitment to developing university dodgeball in addition to supporting the growth of our workforce, we provide the following offer to universities:
- Free access for 2 individuals from each institution annually to complete the Introduction to Officiating Dodgeball online course.
- Free training of those 2 individuals so they can become British Dodgeball Event Referees by accessing the Event Referee Training Pathway.
What does British Dodgeball want in return for free access to this course?
Firstly, we grow our national workforce of paid event referees, meaning we can better offer competitive opportunities for all players in the UK. Secondly, we ask that anyone undergoing this process cascades the rules and roles knowledge they receive to all of their fellow players at their university. The hope is that if this is done effectively, we will have university teams who are more aware of their duties as assistant referees, leading to a fairer and more enjoyable game for all.
How do I apply for this free training offer?
Simply complete the form on our Work With Us page
Do you have comments on our event referees? Please submit both positive and constructive feedback about our referees using the form below. Your feedback will be kept anonymous and we will use this information to:
- Provide specific feedback to referees
- Structure referee training sessions to target specific issues
- Celebrate referees who are doing a great job at facilitating the sport we all love
Please note: This form is for referee development purposes only. If you wish to comment on how a refereed implemented a certain rule, then you’re in the right place. If however, you feel that you were victim of harassment or abuse from a referee and feel they acted contrary to our Code of Conduct, then please submit an official complaint through the process outlined in our Complaints Policy.