MIES (Switzerland) - The fifth FIBA Game Officials Licensing (GOL) cycle for the period 2025-27 will get underway on October 15, when registration for referee and commissioner candidates opens.
Registration for the fifth cycle begins on October 15, 2024, and runs until March 31, 2025. During this time, candidates must be registered, tested, and ultimately verified.
It is expected that around 1000 referee and 400 commissioner applications will be submitted by National Federations worldwide.
After the final phase, FIBA will publish the list of licensed Game Officials by June 15, 2025. The new Licensed Period 2025-2027 will start on September 1, 2025.
The licensing program is designed to build and promote excellence in refereeing. The two-year cycle allows for regular inventory and quality control and gives new opportunities for up-and-coming referees and National Federations.
Carl Jungebrand, FIBA Head of Refereeing, said: "As we enter the fifth GOL cycle, it's clear that the system is functioning effectively and allowing for FIBA and National Federations to plan long-term and map progress regularly. For candidates, current FIBA game officials, and newcomers, it provides an opportunity to refresh their knowledge of the rules and officiating techniques while also undergoing necessary physical and medical evaluations."
Aiming to build on the positive results of the previous cycles of 2021-23 and 2023-25, which saw a significant increase in the number of female referee candidates and approved licenses, FIBA continues to promote female refereeing by maintaining dedicated license allocations for female candidates to each eligible National Federation, in alignment with its strategic priority - Women in Basketball.
Successful referee candidates are awarded FIBA licenses in the categories of Black, Green and White, which entitle referees to officiate international games for women, men and juniors on global, continental, regional and sub-regional levels. There are no categories for commissioner licenses.
The GOL system has been successfully implemented for four periods already: 2017-2019, 2019-2021, 2021-2023 and 2023-2025 and has yielded around 800 international referees and 300 commissioners in each cycle.
For more information, click here or get in touch with FIBA Referee Operations at GOL@fiba.basketball.