Women’s Basketball Refereeing: Training, Development, and How to Get Started
- Ty Martorano
- 23 hours ago
- 6 min read
Interest in becoming a basketball referee is growing alongside the game itself. From high school officiating to college-level opportunities, today’s officials need access to better training, education, and development tools than ever before. We spoke with Donnie Souders, NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Coordinator of Officials, about his officiating journey, the evolution of the women’s game, and what it will take to strengthen the officiating pipeline.
How did you become Division III Women’s Basketball National Coordinator of Officials?
I started officiating at the age of 17 in a local junior basketball league. In 1991, when I was 18, I joined my high school association, the Washington County Basketball Officials Association in Western Maryland, where I still serve today. This will be my 35th year, and I’ll be inducted into the Washington County Sports Hall of Fame this July.
Over the years, I’ve served in multiple roles. I’m currently the supervisor of officials and president of our association, and I’ve been the primary assigner for officials for about eight years.
I spent 21 seasons as an on-court college official, working in multiple conferences throughout the Mid-Atlantic. I was selected to the 2020 national championships, but those games were canceled due to COVID. Three years later, I was selected to work a national semifinal at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
After that season, I decided to step away from the court. My body was starting to break down, especially with knee issues, and I felt like I had reached the peak of my on-court career. When Mary Toberman stepped away from the Division III women’s national coordinator role, I applied, went through the interview process, and was hired in September 2023.
How has women’s basketball officiating evolved over the course of your career?
The growth has been tremendous. There are more fans, more visibility, and more accountability for officials. The game itself has changed with advancements like moving from two halves to four quarters, expanding the three-point line, and adding more replay and review options.
Access has also changed dramatically. It used to be difficult to find women’s basketball games on television or streaming. Now, games at every level, Division I, II, III, junior college, and NAIA, are available across multiple platforms.
That access has helped the game grow. More people are watching, more people are playing, and more opportunities are being created.
How has the growth of women’s basketball affected officiating?
The court of public opinion has grown. More people care, and more people are watching. That raises the expectations for officials.
Officials have always worked to get plays right, but now every call can be seen from multiple angles and discussed by a much larger audience. That creates more pressure, but it also creates more accountability.
The goal for every official is still the same: get the play right. We work as hard as we can to be as close to perfect as possible, even though perfection is never fully attainable.
Why is it important to continue investing in women’s sports, not just for athletes, but for officials too?
For a long time, officials were responsible for figuring out their own development. They had to decide what camps to attend, pay for travel, buy equipment, purchase rules books, and invest in their own education.
Now, that investment is becoming more collaborative. Conferences, coordinators, associations, and officials are all playing a role in development. That matters because the better we train and support officials, the better the game becomes for everyone involved.
Resources like RefReps are part of that change. Years ago, someone might hand you a rule book and say, “Good luck.” Now, we have tools and training models that can help prepare people before they ever step on the court.
What barriers still exist for women in officiating?
There are several barriers, especially at the lower levels. One is complacency. Sometimes local associations get comfortable with the people they already know, and that can make it harder for women to advance.
Another barrier is access to opportunity. Female officials may be placed mostly on girls basketball games and not given chances to work higher-level boys games, which can limit their development.
Recruiting is another issue. Associations need to actively reach out to athletes, college students, intramural officials, and others who may have an interest in officiating. They also need to connect new officials with the right camps and resources. Sending someone to the wrong type of camp too early can discourage them.
Mentorship is also important. In some local associations, there may be very few female officials, which makes it harder for women to find mentors who have reached the level they want to reach.
What is the pathway to becoming a college basketball referee?
It looks different for everyone. A former player may transition differently than someone who did not play at a high level. Geography also matters. In some areas, there may not be many Division III opportunities, so the pathway may begin through junior college or NAIA basketball.
The best first step is to talk to someone who is already officiating. That could be a local assigner, a college official, a coach, or a coordinator. Officials are approachable. We love talking about officiating and helping people get into the pipeline.
Start by learning how to blow the whistle, learning the game from an official’s perspective, and getting reps. From there, officials can move into developmental camps, tryout camps, and eventually college opportunities.
How important is early exposure to officiating, especially at the high school level?
It is extremely important because lower-level games are often the safest space to learn. Junior league, recreation, AAU, and high school sub-varsity games allow officials to make mistakes, get feedback, and grow.
New officials should also watch games. Stay after your game and watch the varsity crew. Take notes. Ask respectful questions. Learn from veteran officials.
Every game is different, every play is different, and every whistle is different. The more you watch, ask, and reflect, the faster you grow.
How do you create an environment where officials feel supported and continue to grow?
You have to manage expectations. Every official develops at their own pace, and no one should compare their path to someone else’s.
Some officials may progress quickly because of their playing background. Others may need more time and more reps. Life also plays a role. A young official right out of college may have more time to invest than someone with a family and full-time career.
Set goals. Before a game, pick one thing to improve. It could be a mechanic, a rule application, or communication. Growth happens one step at a time.
What gives you optimism about the future of women’s basketball officiating?
Sportsmanship is improving. We are seeing better engagement from coaches, players, and officials. Officials are also becoming more proactive in preventing unsporting behavior before it escalates.
The game continues to grow, and the officiating program continues to grow with it. There is a lot of pride in the work being done across Division I, II, and III to create consistency and support officials at every level.
What still needs improvement to grow both the number and quality of officials in the women’s game?
Fan education is a major area. Many fans yell about rules they do not fully understand, and that can have a negative impact, especially on newer officials.
A lot of officials leave within their first few years. One of the biggest reasons people say they do not want to officiate is because they do not want to get yelled at.
If fans had a better understanding of the rules and more appreciation for the work officials put in, we could retain more officials. Officials are working hard to be as close to perfect as possible, but they are also human.
What advice would you give someone starting a career in officiating?
Be patient. Your path will be different from someone else’s.
Develop relationships. Officiating is built on relationships, and some of my closest friendships have come through this game. Work on your craft, both in season and out of season. Study the rules, study mechanics, stay physically fit, and keep learning.
Understand that you do not know what you do not know, and then work to learn it.
Set goals, but also focus on being the best official on the floor in whatever game you are working. If you do that consistently, the next opportunities will come.
Now, my goal is to pay it forward. I want to help Division III officials reach their goals, whether that is working college basketball, moving into Division I, or one day officiating a Final Four or national championship game.
Final Thoughts
As women’s basketball continues to rise, the need for strong, prepared officials rises with it. Souders’ message is clear: development takes patience, support, education, and investment.
Today, that investment is becoming more collaborative and structured with the addition of officiating education platforms like RefReps that help standardize training and accelerate development.
If you’d like to connect with Donnie, you can find him at wbbd3_nco on Instagram and reach him at donnie.souders@outlook.com.