Growing the game: referee edition

In November 2023, the NCAA found that officiating in the women’s national championship game was below standard. An NCAA review by the Pictor Group found that around 88% of the calls were correct compared to a 91% average. An anonymous, independently conducted review found the accuracy even lower. Calling a perfect game is nearly impossible, but missed offensive fouls and unwarranted technical fouls can completely alter the outcome of a game.

The NCAA review also included six observations and recommendations, including more education and training for the NCAA women’s basketball committee and subcommittee on officiating, selection of officiating crews, and building leadership in the officiating crews. Mistakes happen, especially in high-profile situations, and increasing training will allow more people chances to referee at the highest levels.

For example, in July, the NCAA collaborated with the 2023 College Basketball Academies to develop referees further in the offseason, emphasizing mechanics, communication, and play-calling through workshops and clinics. One hundred forty-four officials across all three divisions, including 72 Division I officials, participated. However, this is just a fraction of the roughly 800 total referees in Division I alone. In total, across all levels of basketball, there are 4,204 referees, and only 16.7% are women. Despite 2023 being the 41st NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, it was the first to feature an all-female referee crew.

A 2021 American College Personnel Association report found that because refereeing has historically been a profession for men, women have significant entry barriers. These barriers include sexism, lower efforts for professional recruitment, negative stereotypes from spectators, and, in some cases, “relentless hostility,” especially for women of color. Most recruiting tactics focus on men, and evidence suggests that the workplace climates are not welcoming to women, lowering retention rates. Two separate studies in 2016 and 2017 found that the lack of female representation and emphasis on accomplishments in women’s sports in the media contributes to the low rates of female referees across all sports and all divisions in the NCAA.

The struggle in recruiting and retaining women within male-dominated professions is challenging and has many layers of complexity that extend beyond basketball officials. The women’s game does not end with record-breaking television viewers or stand-out three-point shot contests. It involves bringing women in at all levels, including officiating, to allow for total growth.