Referee

Officials are the backbone to any sport. From beginner programs to high performance, officials are vital to the sport at all levels. In water polo, Officials include the following roles;

Referees
Technical Delegates
Table Officials

All of which play a crucial role in ensuring water polo is an enjoyable experience for everyone, as well as laying the foundation for the development of better players.

Being an official can provide great fulfillment while also taking you around the world as part of this global game. It is a critical role which ensures games can be played successfully and in the right spirit.

How do I become a referee?

The first step to becoming a referee is completing your accreditation. Click here for an overview of the steps to obtaining accreditation.

Accreditation courses are made up of core components (e.g. Working with children checks), online modules via WPA’s The LearningPool and practical tasks facilitated by your State Association.

Experienced Referees looking to further develop their skills can also commence further online training to become Technical Delegates or Assessors through specialisation courses.

What levels of officiating are there?

Below is an overview of the Referee accreditation courses:

(or equivalent of in TLP)

Courses are also offered for Table Officials through the “Competition Official” course which are a great precursor to understanding the sport for parents and players prior to becoming a referee. Experienced Referees looking to further develop their skills can also commence further online training to become Technical Delegates or Assessors through specialisation courses.

What is the Learning and Development Framework?

The Learning and Development Framework provides an overarching picture of the capabiities that all of our coaches and officials need to develop. By doing so, coaches and officials will be able to establish environments in which all of our water polo athletes will thrive in. See below the Learning and Development Framework.

News | Water Polo Australia

WPA Education Curriculum

The Water Polo Australia Education Curriculum outlines the target market, minimum age, prerequisites and course overviews for each accreditation or certificate course as part of WPA’s National Education Program.

For more details on the WPA Officiating Accreditation courses see the WPA Education Curriculum.