Referee Certification Program

In 2005 the USAR accepted the North Carolina Racquetball Association's (NCRA) new revised version of their referee certification program as the national standard. At that time the program was sent to all the states on CD’s. After finding that not all states were using the program the same way, which meant no consistency from state to state, it was determined that the program needed to be administered online.

It was then developed into an online program by an NCRA Board member and found it’s home on the R2 platform. It consisted of a rules clinic, a written test, and a video test. The clinic and the written test were free and allowed anyone to improve their knowledge of the rules. There was a small charge to take the video portion, which allowed the person to become certified after passing the test.

After several years of residing on that platform, it was decided to move the program to another platform called Classmarker that had more bells and whistles and improved the program. But the original videos were still being used on the test. With the improvement in HD technology, it was time to video new scenarios for the test. That was done at the first of this year and the new videos are now part of the program. If you have your YouTube settings on HD you will see a much cleaner video now, making it easier to see the ball and determine the infractions in each. The players are also wearing clearly marked and different color shirts to help you keep up with the serving and receiving players.

The basis of the test is the same. The clinic and the written test remain free, with a small charge ($10) for the video portion to become certified. The written test is now structured to pull from a bank of questions which is different every time the test is taken. The same NCRA member that developed the test still administers and grades all the tests. Once you pass the certification process your name is added to the USA Racquetball database on R2 and will appear on the referee list of any sanctioned event you enter. Certification is good for three years, after which you must complete the process again.

We think everyone should have a better understanding of the rules whether you play in tournaments or just participate in club play. The program is open to anyone whether you are a member of the USA Racquetball or not. But you can only have certification recognized if you are a member of the USA Racquetball.

If you decide to check out the program it is located HERE on USA Racquetball's website. It’s important to read the instructions on the video portion before you take the test. The video portion can be taken up to five times for the $10 fee. And remember to always PLAY BY THE RULES.