MIES (Switzerland) – The heart of international basketball is pulsing with a strong sense of partnership this week as the FIBA Global Referee Team Management Meeting begins at the House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland. This important yearly meeting takes place from December 16 to 18, 2025. It serves as a vital time for the FIBA Referee Operations team and its regional Referee Managers to work together on their goals. The setting in Mies, which combines the sport's long history with a modern environment, provided the perfect venue for high-level discussions aimed at improving basketball refereeing worldwide.

The event started with a tour in the FIBA Museum, where the participants could see how the game has changed over many years. Walking through the museum allowed the Referee Managers to reflect on the sport's history before focusing on its future. After the tour, the FIBA Referee Operations team welcomed the Regional Office Referee Managers who travelled from all over the world. These Regional Office Referee Managers included Mathurin N’Guessan Kouadio from Africa, Leonardo Zalazar from the Americas, Davorin Nakic, and Manuel Mazzoni from Europe. To make sure every part of the world was included, Chung Min Wong from Asia and Albert Joseph from Oceania joined the group online.

The main focus of the first day was the Global Operation Model and the growth of Global Programs. By looking closely at these programs, the managers discussed how to better train referees and keep basketball more professional. Referee Operations team presents the Referee Instructor Programme (FRIP), the Crew Chief Programme, and also the Mentor Programme. Each regional manager also gave a presentation about the progress they have made in their own part of the world. These updates helped everyone understand the successes and the challenges that referees face in different regions.

The meeting also gave the managers a chance to share their best ideas and learn from one another. This led to a creative brainstorming session where the group talked about how to make daily operations more useful and practical for everyone involved. They focused on finding simpler ways to communicate and better ways to support referees in their region. As the yearly meeting continues through December 18, the group remains dedicated to making sure basketball officiating is ready for the future.

FIBA