Whistle, please
Umpire training
A six-week Saturday course for your first umpire award, with a mentor beside you at junior games. £35, refunded after ten club games.
Every netball match needs two umpires and every club needs more than it has. Our course takes you from knowing the basics to blowing a confident whistle in six Saturday mornings.
The first three weeks are in the leisure centre meeting room with the rulebook, a tactics board and some honest arguing. The next three are on court, with a mentor standing beside you during real junior games. You will miss things. Everybody misses things. The mentor will tell you afterwards rather than during.
You do not need to play to umpire. Some of our best are retired players, or parents who got tired of shouting from the side and wanted to do something useful about it. Teenagers can start from fourteen with a parent's permission, and it looks good on a form.
At the end you can sit the first-level written paper and practical. The award and its numbers are placeholders on this demonstration site.
What is included
- Six Saturday mornings from 9am
- A rulebook and a whistle to keep
- A mentor at your first few matches
- The fee back after ten club games
What it costs
£35 for the six-week course, refunded after you have umpired ten club matches. Every price is on the prices list, and your first session is free whichever you pick.
Questions about umpire training
What if players argue with me?
In this club they will say sorry by the end of the match, or Nerys will make them. Abuse of a young umpire means you sit out.
How much do you need to know before starting?
Nothing. We start with what the seven positions are.
Your first session is free. Bring trainers and some nerve.
You do not need to be fit, young or any good at all. Come along, try a bib on, and see who is laughing by the end of the warm-up. It is usually everyone.