Becoming an official

Pickleball in Canada has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last few years. As the sport continues to attract new players, the need for high-quality instructors and coaches also grows.

The training of referees in Ontario as well as in any Province of Canada, is done through the program development of Pickleball Canada. Assess the Officiating section of the PCO web site using:

Or go to the web site and drop down the Support link to find information about coaching, officiating and volunteering. Click on the officiating to find information.

Find out who is in charge of officiating in your province under the link for Program Authority.

Provincial Program Authority

Your Provincial Head Official can put you towards a Referee Trainer that lives closest to you.
Sign Up for a class through your club or in your Region.
While awaiting news of a referee training class being set up, start getting yourself ready by accessing the on line Support materials under:

Support Documents

The Support Materials are the essence of the training program for referees. The materials available here are updated annually:

Find the USAP – international edition Official Rules
Find the Referee Handbook – which describes how to referee
Access the How to Referee video – Quick Start – what a great start !
Print off some score sheets
Plus other information

Farther down the page, are the PCO on line tests. These tests are taken anonymously…so take them often:

PCO Online Tests

Players test
Line Judge tests
Referee Test
Best Practices test

Your training and getting assessed will demonstrate your skills to a level 1 or a level 2. One day, you could earn your way to level 3 as a certified referee.
Practice your skills often… and welcome to the other side of pickleball, the world of officiating !

Pickleball Canada Referee Investment

Pickleball Canada has approved an Officiating budget for 2023 to support the Refereeing Program across the Country, in excess of $32K! This is part of the strategic plan to encourage aspiring Referees to join the program and become a credentialed Referee, and for those already in the program, an incentive to move forward with their credentials. Pickleball Canada acknowledges the importance of having credentialed Referees available at their Championship tournaments.