Umpiring is Your Sport - All About Umpire Fitness

Umpiring is Your Sport! 

The game of Netball has become increasingly quicker so there is a greater importance on the requirement that umpires are prepared well in regard to fitness.  As with all other sports and netball players, this is not something that you use to get fit – you need to be doing training and fitness programmes prior to umpiring.  This is especially  important when you are going to be attending tournaments.  The intensity of a week-long tournament requires a high standard of fitness to enable you to do your best and the best for the teams and to avoid injury.  

Umpires at the Tauranga Netball Centre are encouraged to have a reasonable level of fitness to be able to umpire the games they are controlling.  Fitness is important for umpires because they need to be able to move around the court and keep up with the game to be able to see the players with and around the ball, so they can make clear decisions on what is happening on the court.

Umpires who hold a New Zealand Umpire Award have earned the right to wear the Netball New Zealand logo and are representing Netball New Zealand. Representing a national organisation comes with a responsibility to uphold the high standards of the award. As such, Netball New Zealand have minimum fitness standards for the various levels of netball.

We hold fitness tests at least three times during the season for any umpire who wishes to attend, and wants to participate to test their own level of fitness. and in particular for Umpires who hold their NZ C,B,A Awards( this is a requirement ) and also NZ Zone Award  and higher who wish to continue on the NNZ NZ Umpire Pathway Umpires and must have good physical fitness to perform their umpiring duties!

Yoyo Testing will be next run on:

Sunday 10th March 2024, 6pm, at the Mount Sport Centre

(email umpirelead@tauranganetball.co.nz to attend)

Our full list of 2024 Yoyo testing dates can be downloaded from this page (on right) when confirmed

All NZ umpires wishing to be appointed to NNZ tournaments must be tested. NZ umpires who need to reassess must do a YoYo test. Zone umpires who wish to be considered for a NZ Badge must have been tested.

Please take advantage of these opportunities as they are advertised. If your are part of the Tauranga Nwetball Umpires Group Deveopment Pathway Membership there is no charge to attend the YOYo testing, non members will be charged $10.

Testing must be completed within two weeks of these dates and submitted to the WAIBOP Zone before these dates:

  • 15th March
  • 1st June
  • 1st August (for umpires wishing to attend NZ Open Champs)
  • 1st September

the following are the levels that umpires need to meet as a minimum standard:

Umpire Level

Yo-yo Test Level

Fitness Test Deadline

Umpires selected by the NNZ Umpire Selectors for the NNZ Open Champs

15.1

1 August each year

Umpires selected by the NNZ Umpire Selectors for the NNZ Secondary Schools Champs

14.5

1 September each year

All umpires applying for NNZ U18 Champs

14.5

1 June each year

Umpires prior to screening for NZ B or NZ C, including endorsement

14.3

Within two weeks of the most recent fitness testing deadline

All other Umpires (recommended)

13.2

N/A

All umpires wishing to be appointed to NNZ events must provide current Yo-Yo Test results as per the table above. Current means within two weeks of the fitness testing deadline.