Super League Basketball chiefs insist the new season will tip off as planned this weekend despite making a late appeal for qualified referees to come forward.
In an email seen by City AM and believed to have been sent on Tuesday morning, SLB’s operations coordinator Nick Hill contacted refs who officiated in pre-season games, some of them junior and inexperienced, about the opportunity of joining an SLB Referee Academy.
Hill added: “We are also looking for referees to officiate SLB games from this Friday, 19 September.”
The second season of SLB is due to begin this weekend despite a bitter ongoing legal dispute with governing body the British Basketball Federation (BBF).
SLB alleges that referees told the league they were warned off officiating in it by the BBF. The BBF categorically denies the allegations and is understood to feel it has only offered guidance on Fiba rules.
“In relation to the new SLB season, which tips off this Friday, a number of existing officials have received communications from BBF which have suggested that Fiba, the world governing body, may take action against them if they officiate in SLB competitions,” SLB told City AM.
“There is nothing in Fiba Statutes in this regard but despite our – and the referees’ – best efforts to clarify the situation, no specific guidance or explanation on the matter has been forthcoming.
“We are disappointed that this is the case and have urged the BBF to provide clarity to the referees as a matter of urgency. We simply don’t think it’s fair for BBF to put officials in this difficult position.
“It’s no surprise that some referees are worried about the next step. As a result, we have made arrangements with suitably qualified officials to cover the opening weekend of SLB action.”
In an email to club liaisons this week, SLB said the BBF had denied warning referees off working in the league and quoted correspondence from the BBF calling the claims “incorrect”.
Season to begin in shadow of SLB-BBF row
SLB clubs and the BBF are at war over the long-term future of the men’s top flight after the governing body withdrew the league’s licence and awarded a 15-year contract to US operator GBBL earlier this year.
SLB argues that the tender process did not comply with competition law, that the agreement with GBBL would therefore be voided and that it should receive “recognised” status it needs to return to the Fiba ecosystem.
In the meantime, SLB and BBF have clashed over clubs’ eligibility to sign overseas players, while GBBL, which is yet to announce any teams or host cities, admitted this week that its new league will not start until 2027.
SLB added that its planned Referee Academy would “help develop referees and provide a direct opportunity for them to officiate at the top level in the UK.
“There have been long standing issues around the development of referee pathways in this country at all levels. We want to further our efforts to help solve this problem and to address the shortfall in officials.”
SLB was last season forced to recruit additional referees after some officials went on strike in protest at allegations of racism against one ref made by Sheffield Sharks owner Vaughn Millette. Millette had to step down as interim chair of SLB and apologised.