Umpiring is very rewarding and is a great way to contribute to your community, give back to the game, and to meet and connect with others involved in the sport we love. Umpires are essential to the enjoyment and delivery of netball at our Centre.
How do you become an umpire?
To become an umpire, you need to Learn how to Umpire, therefore you should attend one of our “Learn to Umpire” (LTU) workshops on offer. Our workshops are held before the season starts so you can be ready when the teams or competition, you will be umpiring for, start to play.
Click the register button (top right) to enter your details, select the workshop you are wanting to attend, and pay online.
Details below on the different workshops we offer for our members who are wanting to "Learn to Umpire", and which workshop would be best for you to register for.
(Learning to Umpire Courses are run during pre-season every year.)
Where do you start?
FutureFerns (FFW) Certificate
If you want to learn to umpire on our Futureferns Year 5 competition games, then the Futurefern Whistlers (FFW) workshops is the starting point for you. This competition is where players are learning to play and is the 1st year they have umpires on their games, so you both learn together in a fun environment. At the end of the season, you will be awarded your FFW Certificate.
Umpires who attend the FutureFern Whistlers (FFW) Year 5 Competition Umpires ONLY LTU Workshops will be allocated to umpire the Year 5 competition games, so you will be guaranteed a game to umpire after completing the workshop. Register to attend the FFW workshops to umpire the Year 5 games.
Here is a link to the info on year 5 games – Futurefern Year 5 game format - (please note our Year 6 competition plays the 7 x 7 format at TNC)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
LTU Certificate
If you want to learn to umpire the 7 x 7 (normal format of netball game), and you are just beginning your umpire journey, the starting point for you can be to umpire our Year 6 competition games where you learn the basic skills and techniques of umpiring. At the end of the season you will be awarded your LTU Certificate.
Umpires who attend the Year 6 and Intermediate Umpire LTU Workshops who want to umpire the Year 6 competition will be the Umpires allocated to umpire the Year 6 comeptition games only, so you will be guaranteed a game to umpire after completing the workshop. Register to attend our Year 6 and Intermediate Umpire LTU Workshops to learn the 7 x 7 rules to umpire the Year 6 games.
(Umpires who umpired the Year 5 competition games last season in 2025, should be registering to attend the Year 6 and Intermediate Umpire LTU Workshops to gain their LTU Certificate which is the next qualification for their Umpiring Journey)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
***TNC Junior Badge***
We introduced this qualification to the Tauranga Netball Centre Umpires Group Umpire Development Programme in 2025 - the TNC Junior Badge! This is the next step after the LTU Certificate, this new qualification aims to strengthen umpires' skills before they progress toward their Centre Awards, ultimately fostering more proficient NNZ Centre Award Umpires. Intermediate and College aged Umpires who are umpiring our Year 7, lower Year 8 Divisions, and College games will be 1st developed with Umpire Coaching and then when meeting the Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) assessed for their TNC Junior Badge.
Register to attend our Year 6 and Intermediate Umpire LTU Workshops to learn the 7 x 7 rules to umpire the Year 7 and lower Year 8 games.
or Register to attend our College Competition LTU Workshops if you will be umpiring in the College competition in 2025.
(Umpires who umpired the Year 6 competition games last season in 2025 should be registering to attend the Year 6 and Intermediate Umpire LTU Workshops to gain the TNC Junior Badge on the Year 7 and lower Year 8 games, which is the next qualification for their Umpiring Journey)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the cost of the LTU workshops?
The cost to attend the LTU Practical Workshops is $70 and is payable on registering.
Register for Rulz via Zoom to be a part of the LTU Programme
When you register for the practical workshop you must also register to attend a Rulz via Zoom workshop, called "Know Your Rulz" on a date before you attend the practial workshop. This workshop willbe held via Zoom, which you will be sent a link to attend the week before the workshop. There is no cost attached to this workshop.
Click this link to see what else is included in the cost of the workshop - TNC Umpires Group Membership
Click this link to see more about the TNC Umpires Pathway
What’s included in a Workshop?
Part 1
Attend the "Know Your Rulz" workshop which will be held via Zoom, for you to learn basic rule knowledge for the 7x7 format of the game before the practical workshop.
Please note for new Umpires wanting to Umpire the Year 5 competition which is the 6x6 format of the FutureFerns game, you will need to register for the FutureFerns LTU Year 5 ONLY "Know Your Rulz" and Practical Workshops
Part 2
FFW - learn how the 6 x 6 game is umpired.
LTU - learn how the 7 x 7 games is umpired.
- Revise Basic rule knowledge from "Know Your Rulz".
- Learn the areas of the court you control.
- Be introduced to the Umpire communications tools, whistle (various way to blow), your voice (what to say), and handsignals.
- Introduced to Umpire techniques - position, vision, and timing and how they work together
- See what "Contact" looks like, and when it is "Contesting"
- Find out what "Obstruction" looks like - how far is your 0.9m (1m for 6x6 format) and can you get it right
- Basic Game Management, how to manage the game before you need to use it.
- What is "Advantage".
- Umpire games and be supported to put your new learnings into practice.
- Participants to the LTU and FFW workshops receive a handheld whistle and a Learn to Umpire shirt.
(The workshops content will be customised to align with the competition level at which the umpire will be officiating.)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
LTU Workshop Dates for the 2026 Netball Season
(Please note: the workshops are for the Competition you are wanting to umpire for, NOT the competition you play in)
TNC will be providing LTU - Learn to Umpire workshops, for all umpires who are wanting to “Learn to Umpire”. We have established a recommended pathway for umpires to follow, allowing them to learn and develop their skills at each stage of their journey. This approach aims to cultivate stronger, more confident umpires who can officiate their games with competence.
For the 2026 season, the LTU Workshops will consist of 2 parts – a rule knowledge workshop to be held via zoom, and then a more practical workshop to be held in person at the Centre. Umpires MUST attend a “Know your Rulz” workshop via zoom prior to the practical workshop. Zoom information will be sent to the Umpires after registering
Dates and times as followed
Club Umpires/Senior Competition only Workshops (2 nights)
Know your Rulz Tuesday 17th February Completed 5.30pm to 8.00pm
Practical Wednesday 25th February Completed 5.30pm to 8.30pm
Rulz via Zoom – Register in any workshop which will be held prior to the practical workshop you enrol in
(LTU Workshop participants must enrol in a practical workshop)
Know your Rulz Monday 2nd March Completed 5.30pm to 7.00pm
Know your Rulz Tuesday 3rd March Completed 5.30pm to 7.00pm
Know your Rulz Tuesday 24th March Completed 5.30pm to 8.00pm
Know your Rulz Thursday 26th March Completed 5.30pm to 8.00pm
College/Club Competition Umpires Workshops (now available to Intermediate Umpires)
For Umpires that are Year 10 aged or older who are NEW to umpiring and are looking to umpire during College or Club Competitions. Choose a Know your Rulz (see above) and a Practical workshop
Practical Sunday 8th March Completed 8.30am to 3.30pm
Practical Saturday 18th April (change of date) Full 8.30am to 3.30pm
Year 6 and Intermediate Competition Umpires Workshops
For last season’s Year 5 competition Umpires whose next step is to umpire Year 6 competition games or Umpires Aged Year 8 or 9 or older who are NEW to umpiring. Choose a Know your Rulz (see above) and a Practical workshop
Practical Saturday 7th March Completed 8.30am to 3.30pm
Practical Saturday 28th March Completed 8.30am to 3.30pm
(all Umpires for the Year 6 competition games and will come from the above Year 6 and Intermediate Competition Umpires Workshops and be allocated to games each week)
Year 5 Competition ONLY Umpires Workshops (FFW)
For Umpires aged Year 7 or 8 or older who are NEW to umpiring (the 1st step). Choose a Know your Rulz (see below) and a Practical workshop
Know your Rulz Tuesday 14th April Full 5.30pm to 8.00pm
Know your Rulz Thursday 16th April Full 5.30pm to 8.00pm
Practical Saturday 18th April Full 8.30am to 3.30pm
Practical Sunday 19th April Full 8.30am to 3.30pm
for beginners Umpire new to umpiring who want to learn on Year 5 competition games.
(all Umpires for the Year 5 competition games will come from the above FFW Year 5 Umpires Workshops and be allocated to games each week)
Please note: all of our Learn to Umpire workshop are full and are no longer available to register for. Our next workshops will be held in 2027
LTU Workshops are also offered to our Colleges at a date and time convenient, please contact our Umpire Lead to organise.
If you have any umpire queries please contact our Umpire Lead, Maree Body, at Tauranga Netball Centre -umpirelead@tauranganetball.co.nz
