Become An MHSAA Basketball Official
The Great Lakes Basketball Consortium (GLBOC) is dedicated to recruiting, training, mentorship, and retaining basketball officials. The Become An Official page will help guide you with your decision to become an MHSAA basketball official, what you should know, and how to get started.
School sports are an extension of student education and you can help teach the importance of following rules, fairness and impartiality by being a part of this classroom away from the classroom. The need for qualified and dedicated individuals has never been greater and the time is now.
Sports officiating is an honorable avocation that seeks people, both young and the young-at-heart, with strong moral character and integrity. Its a challenging job, but there are great rewards. To be a very good official, you will need rule knowledge, understanding of the mechanics of officiating and developing good people skills. Basketball officiating will inherently teach you all of those skills and much more. If you love basketball, you will have the best view of the game as an official. More importantly, officiating will teach you how to view the games in a whole new light, no longer as a fan but as an official – one that emphasizes integrity, fairness, decisiveness and sound judgement. Get ready to challenge yourself and start one of the most rewarding jobs you’ll ever have!
The process of becoming an MHSAA Registered Official is an easy one and can be found below. At the bottom of the page, if you have questions, please fill out the form and submit. The GLBOC Recruiting and Mentoring Coordinator will respond as soon as possible.
Reasons to Become an MHSAA Basketball Official
Managing Expectations & Frequently Asked Questions
The goal of the GLBOC is to Recruit, Train, and Retain officials. As a member of the GLBOC, we will do everything within our power to provide you with the knowledge and tools to getting assignments, and succeed as an MHSAA basketball official. As you begin the process of becoming an MHSAA basketball official, you should be aware of a few items that may not meet your expectations. You may certainly reach out to the GLBOC Recruitment and Mentoring Coordinator and/or other GLBOC association leaders if you have questions or concerns to becoming a basketball official.
18 Tips for Beginning Officials
18 of the most useful tips to get you thinking right and prepared to succeed your first time out. A perfect primer for those with little to no experience.
New to MHSAA Officiating – Here Are The Steps To Get Started
This section will help guide you with each of the steps to becoming an MHSAA basketball official including registration, uniform and gear requirements, and getting assigned games. The steps outlined assumes you desire to work in the area the GLBOC covers (Tri-City areas and Genesee County).
To begin your journey, we highly recommend you first speak with the GLBOC Recruitment and Mentoring Coordinator or any of the other GLBOC association leaders (can be found in the About page of this site). They will help answer all your questions, address concerns you may have, and assist you in becoming an MHSAA basketball official. If you are fortunate to have a friend or friends who are MHSAA basketball officials, lean on them for guidance.
The steps outlined in this section are straigthforward and detailed enough to give you confidence in your journey. At any point during the process you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to help!
The MHSAA Officials Guidebook and Policy Manual is 31 pages, covering a wide range of topics and requirements of an MHSAA sports official. It is important the MHSAA policies and requirements are understood. This not only applies to getting started, but also throughout your officiating career. Why we recommend you read this first before proceeding is to ensure you feel comfortable with your ability to comply with all of the MHSAA policies stated. For example, if you are an individual who frequently posts comments on social media criticizing sports officials from youth up to professional ranks is prohibited by the MHSAA.
If you are 18 or older, follow the new official registration process. If you are a high school student, age 14 or older, you will qualify for the MHSAA Student Legacy Program. Please be sure to read all of the Officials Registration Information before registering with the MHSAA. Upon registration, you will receive log in credentials from the MHSAA. You will need this for the tests, establishing your contact information, and tracking your status with the MHSAA.
You must finalize the registration process by completng the open book exams regarding the Guidebook and Policy Manual and the Basketball Officials Mechanics Manual. The purpose of the exams is reasonably ensure you have read and understood the Guidebook and the Basketball Officials Mechanics.
Once you have finalize the registration process, MHSAA will mail you the current year Rules Book and Case Play books. The MHSAA Basketball Mechanics Manual is available online via a PDF formatted file.
To join the GLBOC Association and get assigned games, you must be invited to the GLBOC ArbiterSports group. The assigner(s) will add you to their group which will trigger an invite to join and receive your ArbiterSports login credentials.
When you introduce yourself, let one or both assigners know the area you desire to work, travel restrictions, and employment and family dynamics that may prevent you from working certain days or times.
Basketball – Officials shall wear a black and white (1”) striped V-neck shirt and black pants, black socks, and predominately black shoes. Officials shall wear a black warmup jacket prior to the start of the game. The niform shirt shall have an MHSAA official emblem worn on the left chest pocket area. NOTE: Officials may not wear uniforms designed for the college or professional levels, including gray uniform shirts or uniform shirts with solid black shoulder panels. Accessories – Lanyards and whistles should be black. Click to Learn More About Uniforms and Gear recommendations.
The MHSAA expects every official to be a member of, and active in, one or more Local Approved Associations. If you do not wish to join the GLBOC, the MHSAA provides a list of approved MHSAA Officials Local Associations.
Local associations such as the GLBOC are responsible for the training of basketball officials, not the MHSAA. Further, it is the reponsibility of the basketball officials’ to get trained, and continue with improving their officiating skills. It takes all parties to work together to ensure officials are successful in their avocation.