Ambassador Retreat - Referee Certification Process

There is nothing better than a good, blind referee...

I attended the Ambassador Retreat in Port St Lucie, Florida this week. Several seminars were offered. The first that I attended was Christine Barksdale discussing the process to be a certified referee. She went through 15 steps fairly quickly. Since there was no handout, I took notes as fast as I could. I did not capture her exact words but the gist of the step is shown below.

1. Play pickleball and be a member of the USAPA.
2. Download and study the rule book.

3. Download and study the referee handbook.
4. Attend a referee training session given by a registered trainer using the trainer guide.
5. Practice a minimum of 30 matches including shadowing a certified referee.
6. Within 14 days prior to applying for certification, pass the online test.
7. Obtain concurrence from trainer that you are ready.
8. If application is satisfactory, notification will be sent.
9. Pay a $95 fee upon acceptance.
10. After payment, a list of available sites where certification can take place will be provided.
11. Choose a site and confirm the certification test.
12. Sign up to ref all day of the test date. Do not expect to play.
13. Be prepared to referee at least 3 matches, including one with stacking.
14. A pass-fail assessment will be made by the evaluator.
15. After passing, a photo will be taken and credentials will be provided.

Sounds like a piece of cake, right?