Level 3 - National Referee (Advanced)

National Referee (Advanced) Accreditation

First intake expected by mid-2027!

Overview
The National Referee (Advanced) mentoring program is designed for someone who has demonstrated exceptional competence and ability as the tournament referee of a TTA Tour-level event and is someone who would be able to be the tournament referee of the National Championships or be considered as an assistant referee of a continental/international event (i.e., ITTF Oceania).

It reaffirms and builds upon everything all the knowledge and competencies a National Referee possesses and is designed to be a challenging and intense program to ensure the candidate is positoned for success at some of TTA's premier and high profile events.

Program Structure

Mandatory Components

1. Mentor Assignment & Induction

Initial introduction with a Nationally-assigned Expert Mentor/Assessor.
Mentor provides guidance, sets objectives, and tracks progress.

2. Monthly Mentoring Classes
Conducted over several months, candidates will be trained to be competent at the highest levels of advanced technical competencies across a variety of topics, including:

Advanced Draws
Advanced Competition Methods
Advanced Group Calculations
Advanced Rules Interpretations
Advanced Scheduling Techniques
Advanced Tournament Management
Conflict Management
Stakeholder Management

3. Assignments & Homework

Alongside each monthly class, assignments and/or homework will be set for the candidate to complete
Each task will be required to be completed in order to progress and demonstrate competence in that particular area
Candidates will not be able to progress to the next topic unless the Mentor is satisfied with their progress

4. Oral Assessment

Oral Assessment conducted by the Nationally-assigned expert Mentor/Assessor at the conclusion of the Monthly Mentoring Classes.
Assesses the candidates' deep understanding and application of the ITTF Laws of Table Tennis & Regulations for International Competitions in novel scenarios
To pass the candidate needs to get 85% on the oral assessment.

5. Tournament Mentorship

Be mentored in a minimum of three (3) tournaments with documented progression
- Mentor would typically be a Referee or Deputy Referee so the Candidate can refer to them if need be.
Candidate is mentored while serving as the full referee.
One of these tournaments must be the National Championships in which the expert mentor would be a Deputy Referee
Documented feedback from both the expert mentor and the TTA Events Committee would contribute to the candidate's performance evaluation.

Supplementary Components

Candidates are encouraged to pursue additional activities to further their understanding and build upon their knowledge. These activities include:

1. Engagement & Education

Attending State Officials’ Meetings to gain insight into current officiating practices.
Complete officiating video modules with quizzes (ITTF resources).

2. Independent Refereeing Experience

Gain regular experience at official tournaments.

3. Officiating Re-accreditation Activities

Voluntarily completing re-accreditation activities.

Assessment & Completion

Mentor reviews progress and provides feedback at each stage.
Candidate completes the required module in Spin Academy.
Final competency sign-off occurs after the successful completion of three mentored tournaments.
The Assessor will email the candidate (cc education@tabletennis.org.au) a final competency completion document for them to upload to Spin Academy
Upon sign-off, the candidate achieves Level 3 – National Referee (Advanced) Accreditation.

Key Features

✅ Timeframe: Recommended completion within 12 months (flexible but should not exceed 18 months).
✅ Format: Combination of online interactions, in-person mentoring, and supervised officiating.
✅ Outcome: Confident and competent National Referee (Advanced), eligible to referee the National Championships or be considered as an assistant referee of continental/international events and International Referee School.

Progression to International Referee

It is expected that if you are seeking to apply and progress to a Level 4 International Referee that you need to:

Be an International Umpire
Passed the ITTF Advanced Rules Exam in the last 3 years
Be an active qualified National Referee (Advanced) for at least 1 year
Have proven referee experience as the tournament referee in three National Events or higher (including at least one as referee of the National Championships) since qualifying as a National Referee (Advanced)
Demonstrate competence in English
Have received endorsement from the TTA URC to attend International Referee School.

In determining 'activeness', the candidate show refer to the Officiating Re-accreditation Activities to ensure they meet the minimum requirements to progress i.e.

3 National Events or higher
Committed to at least 1 National Championships every 2 years
20 points of Officiating Education

These requirements are based on a pro-rata of the 3 year re-accreditation period.

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