The Beginner & C Umpiring Award

Some Counties and Leagues require umpires to pass the Beginner Award, the first qualification on the umpiring ladder, in order to be able to officiate, and others requires umpires to pass the C Award.

Both qualifications require umpires to attend a course and complete both a practical and written exam.

Details of Beginner and C Award courses being held in the region are published on this web site. The information below should give you a better understanding of what is required in order to take the Beginner and C assessment. For more information of where and when these assessments take place, contact your county umpiring secretary.

Two, sample written papers for each award are available below. Why not try them and see how you get on?

For more information on the B and A Awards, contact your county umpiring secretary.

BEGINNER UMPIRING AWARD

There are two components for this Award:

1.            A written test paper
2.            A practical umpiring test

THE WRITTEN TEST

Content and intention

The paper comprises 50 questions requiring only YES or NO responses to be answered within a time limit of 40 minutes.  The intention is to help prospective umpires to learn and understand sections of the Official Netball Rules which are pre-requisites for the Practical test that follows.  Only those rules that affect the Practical Test are included.  The order reflects the order of the sections on the Practical Test Rating Sheet.  The number of questions set from each rule is always the same.

Though it is intended that candidates should sit and answer the paper as is normal with written tests, approved Testers may agree to administer the test orally.  In this case the candidate will be given a page of YES/NO options numbered 1-50 and will circle the answer she/he thinks is correct.

Regulations governing the administration of the written test

The paper can be taken at any time in the playing season in which the Practical test is to be taken.  This could involve a gap of several weeks, up to the day before or even on the day of the Practical.  It may be taken as the culmination of a training course.  Should the practical not be taken in the same playing season, or the candidate fails a Practical Test for a second time, the pass paper lapses.  It must be retaken.  A different test paper should be used on each occasion, though many questions will recur given the limitation of the ‘Bank’.

THE PRACTICAL TEST

Content and intention

The content of the test is detailed on the ‘Tester’s Rating Sheet’ and is expanded in the booklet ‘The Beginner Umpire Award’.  Umpires are not required to deal with all rules, or all the less obvious aspects of the listed rules.  They are expected to act with accuracy and confidence in managing the limited content required.

Regulations governing the administration of the practical test

Candidates will be observed umpiring by two approved Testers for up to 15 minutes if there is only one candidate, or for 25 minutes if there are two candidates controlling the game.

Games used for the test may be normal matches - including tournament games if the total observed time fulfils the regulations - or may be set up for the test.  The standard of play and the sophistication of players should be at a level appropriate for control by confident Beginner Umpires.  If tournaments are used for testing, a minimum game length of 7 minutes is allowed.  Where the game length is anything between 7 minutes and 10 minutes, the test should be taken over two consecutive games, and if there are two candidates, a third game may either follow on immediately, or after a gap of one game.

Testers record the result on the Rating Sheet supplied and candidates retain this as their proof of passing, i.e. as their certificate.

NETBALL EUROPE ‘C’ UMPIRING AWARD

Application

The application form should be completed and sent to the County Umpiring Secretary together with the test fee of £10.00.  Candidates must have attended an official England Netball C Award umpiring course within 2 years of applying for the Award

Test arrangements

The County through which the candidate is affiliated shall make these.

Form of Test

(A) Candidates will be required to umpire for a minimum period of 30 minutes.
They will be expected to show their ability in application of the rules and control of the game by:
(i) penalising correctly obvious infringements of the rules
(ii) correct use of whistle, voice and terminology
(iii) positioning and movement
(iv) appearance and manner
(v) their ability to keep a correct scorecard and to call the score and Centre Pass.
(B) Answer correctly a minimum of 17 questions requiring  “Yes” or “No” answers from 20 written questions.

Results

(1) The names of successful candidates will be registered on the England Netball list of ‘C’ Umpires.
(2) All candidates will receive a written assessment of their test as soon as possible after its completion.
(3) When only part (B) is failed, the candidate can retake this section within 4 weeks of the test without having to pay an additional fee. If successful, the Award will have been gained.
(4) When part (A) is failed and part (B) passed, the written part remains valid for 12 months. Provided the candidate submits a fresh application, with the complete fee, and passes part (A) within this period, the Award will have been gained. However, retests for part (A) can only take place after a minimum period of three months.

Recognition

1. A certificate signed by the Regional Umpiring Secretary will be issued to successful candidates.