State-certified basketball referees officiate games for high school and recreational basketball teams across Georgia. Officials must officiate games at various levels of classification before obtaining certified basketball official status. Prospective basketball officials must be at least 18 years of age to apply and have a high school diploma or GED.

Complete a Georgia High School Association basketball official application. Georgia’s High School Association certifies officials for all high school and recreational sports in the state. Applicants can get an application at a local association office (see Resources).

Attend one of the Georgia High School Association’s scheduled basketball rules clinic. The rules clinic provides a basic overview of various basketball rules and calls. The association offers onsite and online rules clinic at various times throughout the year. Applicants can find a schedule of rules clinics for basketball and other sports at the association’s website (see Resources).

Pass Part I and Part II with a minimum 75 percent score. Applicants must take and pass the exam each year for a total of four years to obtain “Registered” classification, followed by “Approved” classification -- both preceding steps to obtaining certification classification. Passing the exam the first two years qualifies an official for “Registered” classification and the last two years qualifies an official for “Approved” classification.

Register and attend a Georgia High School Association basketball rules and interpretation clinic to qualify for certified classification. Unlike the basic rules clinic, the rules interpretation clinic provides advanced and in-depth coverage of basketball rules and calls. An official must obtain “Approved” classification before registering for the basketball rules and interpretation clinic.

Officiate the minimum number of game to earn credits and maintain your current status. Basketball officials must officiate at least 10 varsity basketball games each season to earn 10 credits and maintain their current status. If an official is unable to officiate varsity games, he can officiate junior varsity basketball games to earn his credits. However, he must officiate double the amount of junior varsity games to meet his minimum credits because one junior varsity game or credit equals half a varsity game or credit. That is, an official must officiate twice as many junior varsity basketball games, or 20, to meet his minimum officiate credits.

Take the basketball official exam for a final time to obtain certification status. After working as an official for a total of four years, two years as a “Registered” official and two years as an “Approved” official, Georgia basketball officials are eligible for the certification classification once they retake the basketball official exam. Officials must score at least 85 percent on Part II of the exam to obtain certified classification. Once an official reaches certified classification, he must continue to officiate at least 10 varsity or 20 junior varsity basketball games each year.