let's make you official

Becoming a high school basketball official is the easiest call you’ll ever make. High school officials protect the integrity of the game our kids love to play by demonstrating qualities like honesty, objectivity, consistency, courage and common sense. They have the opportunity to help teenagers learn life lessons that will benefit them for a lifetime. As veteran officials continue to retire, new officials have an opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of young people every year.

Consider the many benefits of becoming a high school basketball official:

• You’ll be a role model for the youth in your community

• It’s a great way to stay in good physical condition

• Hours are flexible

• You’ll earn extra income

• You’ll expand your network of friends and have fun

Next Level seeks high character individuals who love the game of basketball. Specifically, the traits we look for in a new official are:

• Dependability: When you say you'll be somewhere, you show up on time every time.

• Availability: The more time you invest in officiating, the more we can invest in you.

• Coachability: Accepting feedback from experienced officials is crucial to calling a great game.

• Mobility: You needn't be a great athlete, but you will need to get up and down the court.

• Common Sense: We can't train for every scenario. Common sense (and ultimately experience) fills in the gaps.

• Knowledge of the Game: No officiating experience is required, but it helps if you've played or coached organized basketball.

After you apply, a member of Next Level leadership will contact you to discuss the opportunity further. If we are still a good fit after the introductory call, training begins.

Next Level is known for its commitment to training all levels of officials, from newcomers like yourself to experienced high school officials to full-time collegiate officials. There is always opportunity to improve and take your officiating to the "Next Level."

We mix classroom sessions, scrimmages, self-guided study, and mentorship to develop our officials. Furthermore, we staff exclusively 3-person crews (even for middle school) so our officials are ready when called upon for higher level games.

Furthermore, Next Level is 100% a meritocracy. A first or second year official who attends all the trainings and studies on their own may find themselves assigned to better games than someone more experienced on paper but who lacks the same commitment. We value ability and availability.

Finally, you may find the locations of our games more convenient for you than other associations. We serve densely located APS schools in Atlanta proper, minimizing travel times for our officials.

Many of Next Level's members officiate Division 1 collegiate basketball as well as high school championship games. There is no shortage of knowledge and experience among Next Level's training committee to take you from square 1 to whatever level officiating you want to go.

Your training will include:

• Next Level-organized classroom sessions to review rules, positioning, and judgment (in the fall)

• Next Level-organized gym sessions to review mechanics (in the summer and fall)

• Off-season scrimmages for your first court time (in the summer and fall)

• GHSA camps and clinics (in the summer and fall)

• Self-guided study with YouTube videos and rule book review (year-round)

Additionally, each official is assigned a mentor to whom you may ask questions not explicitly covered in training.

The middle school and high school seasons begin in November, giving you the opportunity to put your training into practice!

Officiating is a great way to earn some extra cash, and the very best officials make their living officiating full time by calling both high school and collegiate basketball. However, we tell every official not to officiate for the only the money (see "Why should I officiate?" question above).

You'll be paid for each game you officiate, and the payment increases at higher levels. Most assignments will be doubleheaders (a girls game and a boys game) so you'll earn two game fees for a single outing.

Middle school game fees are ~$50/game, sub-varsity high school game fees are ~$55/game, and varsity high school game fees are ~$70/game. You'll also earn a small travel stipend per assignment.

The basketball season runs from November through February. Most weeknight games begin between at 5:30 PM, while most Saturday game begin at 10 AM with a few games on Saturday afternoons. Most assignments are for a doubleheader (girls game and boys game), and you are expected to show up 30-45 minutes before tip-off.

Next Level uses a scheduling system called Arbiter that lets you block off days and times that you are unavailable so the game assignor doesn't try to schedule you. If you are listed as available, the assignor may send you a game request one to two weeks in advance, which you may accept or decline.

First year officials should expect assignments to middle school games on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, plus additional middle school, JV, and Varsity assignments throughout the week as the game schedules, your availability, and your refereeing ability allow.

Great first year officials with high availability may find themselves scheduled to 60+ games in their first year!

Angry fans and coaches is a common worry among new officials. The short answer is "Yes" you will deal with outbursts after you make a call, even if the call is 100% correct.

We will coach you on how to manage games to maintain a safe and positive atmosphere in the gym. You'll also be partnered with two experienced officials for your games, and you'll work together to deliver a fair contest.

 You'll grow to enjoy the satisfaction of nailing a crucial call despite the ignorance of fans!