2022 Referee Clinics
In August, Manitoulin Pickleball Club members Bud and Pierrette Hebner (Level 2 Pickleball Referees/Trainers) completed a second Referee 1 Training Clinic. This recent group brings the total of Referee Clinic participants this summer to 10. In our first Clinic there were participants from the Manitoulin, Espanola and North Bay Pickleball Clubs. This half day classroom session is followed by the development of a thorough knowledge of the "US Pickleball Official Rulebook - International Edition" and the Referee Handbook.
After that, participants are required to complete online tests for:
a. Player
b. Line Judge
c. Referee
d. Best Practices
In most cases these tests require a 80% or greater score. Now comes the field practices. These individuals will practice Refereeing games and will receive mentoring as they practice. Pickleball Canada is responsible for the design and execution of this certification program.
This may seem like quite an onerous task for the participants and it is, however the benefits to our Club members and broader Organizations is significant. Sanctioned Tournaments would not happen without certified Referees. As in any sport players are better equipped to play the game if they know the rules.
As part of our Manitoulin Play Schedule we have introduced Officiated games during our Wednesday (Round Robin) play. The feedback from players has been very positive and the general observation is that the level of play has gone up.
