Call for applications for the position of ABA League referee

Join one of the most prestigious international basketball competitions in Europe.

ABA LIGA j.t.d., with its registered office in Zagreb, Prilaz Ivana Visina 7 (hereinafter: the “ABA League”), is a company that organizes international basketball competitions and is the exclusive holder and owner of all related rights.

For 25 consecutive years, the ABA League has been one of the most recognizable international sports competitions and an important platform for the development of professional basketball, bringing together leading clubs, players, referees, and sports professionals.

With the aim of further improving the quality of the competition, developing the refereeing organization, and ensuring the highest standards of officiating, the ABA League invites interested and qualified candidates to submit their applications for the position of:

ABA LEAGUE REFEREE

We are seeking qualified, responsible, and motivated basketball referees who will contribute to the quality and credibility of all ABA League competitions through their professional expertise, professional integrity, physical fitness, and impartial approach.

Description of Duties

An ABA League Referee is responsible for officiating games to which he or she is assigned, in accordance with the applicable basketball rules, ABA League regulations, and international basketball standards.

Referees are expected to apply the rules consistently and impartially, manage games effectively, communicate professionally with all competition participants, and conduct themselves in a manner that contributes to protecting the integrity and reputation of the ABA League.

A referee is particularly required to:

• officiate assigned games professionally and impartially;
• know and apply the current basketball rules, official interpretations, and applicable ABA League regulations;
• maintain an appropriate level of physical fitness;
• participate in professional seminars, educational activities, testing, and evaluations organized or designated by the ABA League;
• communicate his or her availability for assignments in a timely manner;
• comply with the professional and ethical standards of the ABA League;
• maintain the confidentiality of information obtained in the course of performing refereeing duties;
• avoid any conduct or circumstances that could call into question his or her independence, impartiality, or the integrity of the competition;
• cooperate with the President of the Refereeing Commission, referee instructors, delegates, and other competent bodies of the ABA League.

Required Qualifications

Candidates are expected to meet the following requirements:

• be at least 25 years of age;
• have at least five (5) seasons of experience officiating games in the highest tier of a national championship and/or an international basketball competition;
• have a high level of knowledge of the official basketball rules and their interpretations;
• have an appropriate level of physical fitness for officiating professional basketball games;
• have an active command of the English language, both spoken and written;
• possess strong communication skills and the ability to make timely decisions under pressure;
• demonstrate a high level of professional integrity, impartiality, and responsibility;
• be willing to continuously improve professionally and accept professional evaluations;
• be available for travel and for performing refereeing duties throughout the entire competition season.

Preference may be given to candidates with experience officiating games in the highest tiers of national championships, international club competitions, and/or national team competitions.

Exceptionally, the ABA League may also consider a candidate who does not meet the minimum age requirement and/or the prescribed refereeing experience requirement, provided that, based on previous work, professional assessment, and conducted testing, the candidate demonstrates outstanding technical and refereeing quality.

Independence, Conflict of Interest and Professional Integrity

A referee must be independent and impartial in the performance of his or her duties.

A candidate may not be an owner, member of a management or supervisory body, employee, or otherwise directly involved in the activities of a club participating in ABA League competitions, nor may the candidate be in any relationship that could give rise to an actual or potential conflict of interest.

A referee is required to notify the ABA League without delay of any circumstance that could affect, or create the appearance of affecting, his or her independence or impartiality.

Any attempt to influence the outcome of a game, favour a participant in the competition, disclose confidential information without authorization, participate in activities related to betting on ABA League games, or engage in any other conduct that could jeopardize the integrity of the competition is incompatible with the performance of refereeing duties.

Application Documentation

Candidates are required to submit:

• a curriculum vitae (CV) including an overview of relevant refereeing experience;
• a brief motivation letter;
• information on their current referee category, licence, and/or international status, where applicable;
• certificates or other documentation evidencing professional qualifications, where applicable;
• a Statement of Clean Legal Record and/or Affidavit of no pending legal proceedings

The ABA League may request additional documentation, references, information, or clarifications from candidates for the purpose of verifying compliance with the requirements and the information provided in the application.

Selection Procedure and Candidate Assessment

As part of the selection procedure, the ABA League may conduct:

• testing of knowledge of basketball rules and official interpretations;
• a video test and analysis of game situations;
• an English language proficiency test;
• physical fitness testing;
• an interview with the candidate;
• an analysis of the candidate’s previous refereeing performance and available evaluations.

The ABA League reserves the right to verify the information provided in the application and to request references or other information relevant to assessing the candidate’s professional competence, professional integrity, and suitability.

Meeting the formal application requirements does not automatically entitle a candidate to be included on the ABA League referee list.

Terms of Engagement

Selected candidates will be included on the appropriate ABA League referee list for the relevant competition season.

Inclusion on the referee list does not guarantee a specific number of assignments or confer any right to be assigned to a particular game. Referee assignments shall be made on the basis of professional criteria, quality of officiating, evaluation results, experience, referee availability, and the requirements of individual games.

For each game to which they are assigned, referees shall be entitled to a referee fee determined according to the competition and stage of competition, in accordance with the fee table forming an integral part of this call.

For transparency and comparison purposes, the table below shows the referee fees applicable in the previous competition season and the fees applicable in the current competition season.

Referee Fees

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In addition to the referee fee, referees assigned to games shall have their reasonable travel, accommodation, and meal expenses provided or reimbursed, in accordance with the rules and procedures of the ABA League.

The rights and obligations of referees, the manner of engagement, and other matters related to the performance of refereeing duties shall be governed by the relevant ABA League regulations and/or by an agreement or other appropriate legal arrangement with the selected referees.

The performance of refereeing duties does not constitute the establishment of an employment relationship with the ABA League.

Submission of Applications

Interested candidates are required to submit their application together with all required documentation no later than 21 September 2026 at 15:00 to the following email address:

headoffice@aba-liga.com

Candidates will be informed of the outcome of the selection procedure following the decision of the competent body of the ABA League.

Protection of Personal Data

By submitting the application, the candidate gives consent to the ABA League to process his or her personal data for the purposes of conducting the selection procedure, verifying compliance with the applicable requirements, and any subsequent engagement of the candidate, in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.

Final Provisions

The ABA League reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without any obligation to provide reasons, to amend or suspend the procedure, extend the application deadline, change the number of candidates to be included on the referee list, select no candidates, or conduct additional assessments.

Submission of an application does not create any right for the candidate to be included on the referee list, to receive game assignments, or to enter into an agreement, nor does it oblige the ABA League to select any candidate.

Applicants are required to download and complete the Statement of Clean Legal Record form as part of the application process.