Basketball England has said its September Regional Officiating Conference tour engaged 1,068 referees, table officials and statisticians ahead of the 2026/27 season, as Basketball England said it sought to explain rule changes and refresh key areas of match administration.
The programme was led by Officiating Senior Delivery Manager Simon Unsworth and Officiating Development Manager Shaun Williams. Basketball England reported that the pair visited each of its 10 regions, combining in-person conferences with online sessions as domestic competition got under way.
According to the organisation, the tour comprised 15 sessions and 48 hours of delivery. Eleven events were held face to face and four were delivered online, with Unsworth and Williams travelling 1,800 miles during the programme.
Basketball England said the tour was intended to prepare the workforce to serve leagues, clubs and teams during the new season.
Rule changes and game-management focus
Basketball England said the conferences concentrated on FIBA rule changes and the points of emphasis for 2026/27. The sessions also addressed clock management, special situations and the effective handling of plays from beginning to end.
Flagrant fouls and disruptive fouls were identified by Basketball England as important areas of explanation.
Basketball England’s account indicated that the programme was not limited to outlining changes to the rules. It brought the new-rule areas together with subjects connected to the administration and progression of a game, including use of the clock and the treatment of special situations. The organisation described the processing of plays from start to finish as part of the discussion, alongside its season-specific points of emphasis. On Basketball England’s stated account, the combination was intended to refresh officials across the different roles included in the tour before they provided service to leagues, clubs and teams.
Williams said attendance at both the digital and regional in-person sessions had risen from year to year. He indicated that the growing numbers supported Basketball England’s decision to stage a conference in every region, while also acknowledging the limited time available to reach officials before the campaign.
Williams said the year was important because of significant changes to the Official Basketball Rules and other points of emphasis.
Nationwide delivery in numbers
| Measure | Basketball England’s figure |
|---|---|
| Officials engaged | 1,068 |
| Regions visited | 10 |
| Sessions delivered | 15 |
| Face-to-face sessions | 11 |
| Online sessions | 4 |
| Total delivery time | 48 hours |
| Distance travelled | 1,800 miles |
Part of a longer-term officiating objective
The tour sits within the organisation’s 2025-29 Strategy. Under the strategy’s Game section, Basketball England has set an objective to increase both the volume and quality of officials who are trained and deployed.
That stated aim provides the broader context for a programme that included referees, table officials and statisticians rather than focusing solely on on-court officiating. The different roles are all included in Basketball England’s description of the workforce it intended to prepare.
Basketball England said the conferences were arranged to reach as many officials around the country as possible. The use of four online sessions alongside the 11 in-person events gave the programme a national footprint while retaining regional delivery.
Basketball England characterised the work as a refresh and preparation exercise for its officials, covering referees, table officials and statisticians before the campaign.
The organisation also thanked those who attended the events. Basketball England said the programme was intended to prepare officials for service during the new season.