The second stage of the WPBSA Class 3 Referee course took place at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds on Tuesday.
A total of 29 trainee referees attended part two of the course, which has received endorsement from leading awarding body 1st4sport Qualifications.
The day was led by WPBSA Head of Coaching and Training Development Chris Lovell, alongside WPBSA Referee Course Coordinator Glen Sullivan-Bissett, while current World Snooker Tour (WST) referees Ben Williams, Colin Humphries and Julian Bell each took on the mentorship of a group of the new officials.
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson was also in attendance at the Yorkshire venue to give an introductory welcoming speech to those taking part in the leading qualification programme for aspiring snooker referees.
The WPBSA Class 3 Referee course is aimed at prospective new referees who wish to gain their first formal qualification in the sport and training is delivered through a combination of online and face to face delivery.
Chris Lovell, WPBSA Head of Coaching and Training Development, said: “As a world governing body we are duty bound to get as many people as possible into the sport that they love and give them an opportunity to support the game.”
“I hope that this is the start and that we can grow and support the game at the highest level by providing the highest quality referees.”
Reflecting on the success of the day, WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “In order to build our sport we need referees and officials who can maintain our standards. Today is about inclusion and bringing new people into the sport and about demonstrating the exponential growth of snooker.”
“Chris Lovell and the team have done a fantastic job of putting together this refereeing course and I believe that this is the way to run referee training courses. I hope this can set the standard around the world” he added.
The next step in the course will see trainee referees gain match experience supported by mentoring from qualified referees. Part of the final assessment will be a match at a WPBSA recognised event.
Learn more about the WPBSA Class 3 Referee course and how to express your interest.
The post WPBSA Class 3 Referee Course Staged at Northern Snooker Centre appeared first on WPBSA.