What are the venue costs they are harping on about?? BSA gets almost all stadiums on a peppercorn lease ($1/year). Not sure how they can't pay refs a good wage when on a midweek game there are 15 players (sometimes more) paying $15+ that's $225, the $$ are definitely going into someones pockets.

Interesting that the first response to a BSA statement explaining increased investment in developing referees AND increasing referee payments is a negative comment re BSA stadium costs vs game payments.

The reality is that BSA only manage 5 stadiums (SBC, Springbank, M/Vale, Pt Adel & Marion) and my understanding is that there is only 1 stadium on a Peppercorn lease and even then BSA is responsible for maintenance.

The BSA stadiums are leased on commercial terms and they have to rent courts at the other stadiums (eg Lights, St Clair, ARC) the same as any other user.

Anyway more fun to bash BSA rather than be positive about them trying to improve the standard and pay of referees.

@GF22 you make a very valid point.


What I'm hoping is that the increase in referee payments will support the retention of our referees. It would be great to see them continuing and developing as they age. It’s great to see the mentoring of young ones on the court.

@GF22 Your understanding is wrong RE the peppercorns, understand the cost to hire courts at lights / st clair etc but that's not where I have been playing games. All are played across the BSA managed stadiums.

Not upset that refs are being remunerated better... more so that the amount of overheads and other things game fees are going to rather then the important people who the game doesn't run without.

Firstly i want to say the increase in payment for refs and development expenditure should be welcomed! Love it.

My concerns are though:
1) for the past couple seasons players of all grades were made to pay a $5 fee payment for "promotion for womens basketball"
we have no clue where that money went or how it was utilised to improve the womens standings in terms of skill development OR participation.
If anything during the time of this fee payment you might actually be able to argue that participation has decreased in SA.
In mid 2010s it seemed just to be Woodville struggling for numbers, but now Centrals, Southern and even Eastern seem to have had a outcry looking for more participants.

2) pay 100% is an issue with umpiring, but is it the biggest issue?
I don't know if we have been keeping up with the news, but ALOT of umpires in SA have been in the news in the past 36 months for very very questionable behaviour. I am amazed seeing these reports and these sentances handed down that there hasnt been a inquisition into BSA and their umpiring department for fairwork and safety.

If you google Basketball SA in news of the first 10 articles that come up 4 are from umpires inappropriate conduct.

The excuse from BSA has always been around spectator conduct and coach conduct towards umpires, but i would say over my 30 years being involved with basketball that the umpire experience has not changed THAT much from those factors.

The way they have tried to combat the above by highlighting u18 refs and new refs almost makes you question if they are aware of the wolves in sheeps clothing to the issues raised in my second point. Their policys highlight the vulnerable refs, which probably doesnt help them feeling comfortable, but also highlights them to predatory behaviour.

I have tried to avoid getting this thread locked by not diving too deep into my second point. But I am amazed that this hasnt been spoken more about in a broader context to why umpires are leaving the game.

Because if you are 15-18 you are getting paid terribly, you are probably still getting abuse from your customers... but how many are getting abuse from their co-workers like BSA umpires MIGHT be?

@Grote 12

You make fair points, and is probably the reason a number of parents remain at the stadiums watching their children umpire.

Basketball SA have a good set up where communication appears to be via email to U18's regarding potential availabilities, and phone calls to the parent / guardian if they’re needing an umpire to fill in (my experience).

Other associations seem to be ad hoc, but most communication has gone through the parent. There was a case when the referee was messaged but he didn’t see it as their school have the students lock their mobiles in pouches during the day.

Can’t complain regarding level 1C payment when you’re 15, it’s on par with casual work at KFC (no idea, just thinking it is). The hours are friendlier with school as well.

The playing and coaching groups have had just as much fall out with the law in this space than the referee group over the journey. Let's not get hysterical over a couple of bad eggs.

@Sebastian

Firstly this post is about referee payments, development and keeping refs in the game. So adding that coaches have been caught is less of an impact on the actual topic posts.

With that said I don't disagree that some coaches have been caught on the wrong side, but remember as an umpire it is technically a work place.

If you were at your place of work and had this occur you would be suing the business as well as the person who treated you this way.
The fact BSA has somehow dodged the courtroom with this many employees being convicted recently is very "lucky".

The most recent very public case had zero to do with their role as a referee nor with referee's under his supervision so no, I would not be suing my employer

I dont want to hash through the recent history of these cases as they are gross and 100% will get this thread locked.

But if your defence is "well the most recent person didnt do it in house" then thats a pretty weak defence.

There has been 5 or 6 basketball umpires in the past 2 years that have been convicted of these kinds of crimes in SA. Is there any group in SA that would have a similar conviction rate in terms of % of workforce and amount of individuals?
Umpring South Australian Basketball is niche career 250 employeee? 6 out of 250 is a high %. even then there are probably many job titles that also have a lower conviction rate of all crimes, let alone these kinds of crimes.

This shows that either:
the current vetting process does not pick up on predators.
OR
there is a cultural issue which breeds this behaviour to occur.

Regardless staff safety is of importance here and you have to question even if these are allegations what is BSA doing to protect the umpires from inhouse predatory behaviour?

The world is full of sick people, umpires, coaches, players priests... move on

South Australian referee's are going to get paid more. This is a great outcome for the BSA referee panel top to bottom.

That's two increases in a row which is good
Well done to BSA

2024 started with a sizable increase which was way overdue so SA is simply playing catch up on other states which are more generous

I reckon the refs are still under paid for what they do

Check the news out of Brisbane around a coach with a high profile son. Let's sue the employer.

It should hopefully help to retain the good referees.

The development of the junior refs also seem to be a focus, with increased opportunities for coaching of the young/new ones.

Enjoying the lack of most High School/College basketball meaning we have some black n whites out on Saturday mornings for Junior District games.

Term 2, things will return to normal when they all disappear for the significant money being offered by schools.

one thing that concerns me with junior refs - and I've seen it often.

Kids not much older than the players umpiring.

Coach from one team is a Squad HC or JDO at the home club - yelling "foul", "travel" "and one"e etc.

Junior ref is a player at the home club - totally intimidated as they want to continue playing at that club.

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But the best one is same situation - but they are umpiring their little brother / cousin or sister - parent group yelling "foul", "2 shots" etc - then at the end of the game the ref goes and hangs with the parent group whilst they all high 5 about the win.
One can only imagine the conversation in the family car or over the dinner table before and after.

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Is there any discussion on ethics etc with the junior refs on their courses ? I never hear any talk about things being neutral etc.