Referee Accreditation

The primary objectives of the Pickleball Canada (“PCO”) Officiating Program and Pickleball BC (“PBC”) are:

  • To provide a development and training environment for individuals wishing to become pickleball match officials.
  • To establish and maintain a high level of officiating.
Pickleball referees and players at a BC sanctioned event.
On-court officiating during a pickleball tournament in British Columbia.
Pickleball match play with officials present in BC.
Pickleball competition scene in British Columbia.

Verified Trainee Letter

Here is the initial step of a Verified Trainee letter sent out to those that have sent PCO an expression of interest in refereeing. PCO then adds their name to a spreadsheet and then sends the pertinent information to each respective Province. View Verified Trainee letter here:

Hello.

Let me introduce myself. I am Sharon MacDonald, Head Referee for BC, and Regional Training Coordinator for Western Canada.

The reason I am reaching out to you is that I was just informed by Pickleball Canada you had expressed interest recently in becoming a Pickleball Referee.

I am also, copying our Referee Data Base Manager for Canada, so she is aware of your interest.

It is great that you have an interest in becoming a referee as there is a definite need for more referees. We do periodically have in person ‘Introduction to Pickleball Refereeing’ Clinics. Most of the clinics are held in the spring, summer and fall throughout various parts of British Columbia, depending on the interest from clubs in hosting these events. If you belong to a club and there is interest in hosting a clinic please inform me and we can look at scheduling and organizing a clinic.

In the meantime, I would suggest you go to the Pickleball Canada website and review the Officiating Program Information that exists there. You can access the rulebook and the online tests if you wish to test your current knowledge. Here is the link to access and review the Officiating Program: https://pickleballcanada.org/officiating/demo-officiating-program-information/

At that site you can review the program, access the rulebook and even do the tests associated with being a pickleball referee. There are four tests — Player, Referee, Best Practices and Line judge. You can take the tests as many times as you like.

To access the Referee Handbook (Referee Best Practices) and the Referee Casebook, you can sign up as a Verified Trainee by completing the online application. After doing so, within a couple of days you will also be able to access the Handbook and Casebook which are great study materials, spelling out how we as referees are expected to deal with on court matters.

Here is the link for the Verified Trainee Application: https://form.jotform.com/251835221123244

In the summer are when most of the tournaments are in BC and you are welcome to come to a tournament and shadow a more experienced referee to obtain a better understanding of what is involved in being a pickleball referee. With most of the sanctioned tournaments, I am usually in attendance, so if you reach out to me, I can assist and plan for you to shadow a referee.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to discuss other training opportunities in your area.

Thanks for your interest in becoming a Pickleball Referee and I look forward to meeting you.

Sharon MacDonald
Head Referee, Pickleball BC & Regional Training Coordinator for Western Canada
headreferee@pickleballbc.ca

2026 BC Referee Assessment Program

An important aspect of the Officiating Program for Pickleball Canada is the assessment of officials to Level One and Level Two status. The assessments are carried out by the provinces and the provincial head referees oversee the process. In BC, we implement a team approach to make the assessments consistent, fair, and comprehensive. When a referee wishes to achieve either a level one or two accreditation, he/she should follow the following steps:

  • Enlist the help of an accredited official to be your mentor or trainer.
  • Be aware of the TRR (Tiered Referee Rating) system and work with your trainer/mentor to understand and implement the requirements. The candidate should also have a good understanding of the Officiating Best Practices and the Rulebook.
  • When the candidate and the trainer/mentor feels they are ready, ask the Pickleball BC head referee to arrange for an assessment. The Regional Training Coordinator will also be informed.
  • The trainer/mentor must recommend the candidate for assessment. The trainer will fill out a Request for Assessment for the candidate. Link to download the form is provided below.
  • The Head Referee (HR) and Regional Training Coordinator (RTC) will work with the candidate and trainer/mentor to arrange for the assessment. A qualified Assessor will be found to conduct the assessment at an agreed date and at an appropriate event. This process can sometimes take a fair bit of time.
  • The candidate must achieve and document passing grades (90%) on all four on-line tests available on the Pickleball Canada website. Tests must be taken within 30 days of the assessment.
  • The candidate must also have a valid Visual Acuity Form filled out.
  • The Head Referee will work with the Tournament Director or Referee Coordinator of the event to make sure they are aware of the assessment to take place.
  • If the candidate is successful, the TRR form will be filled out entirely, signed, and submitted to the Head Referee, Regional Training Coordinator, and Pickleball Canada Database manager. Credentials will be issued shortly thereafter.

Sharon MacDonald
BC Head Referee
headreferee@pickleballbc.ca

REFEREE ASSESSMENT REQUEST Form, May 11, 2026
Download PDF here.

SANCTIONED TOURNAMENTS
REFEREE GRANT APPLICATION Form, May 21, 2026
Download PDF here.