Basketball in the Girona regions is suffering from a shortage of referees which has caused many clubs, from their social networks, to start promoting the training courses organized by the Catalan Federation. As confirmed by the president of the Territorial de Girona, Xavier Santaló, the problem was created during the pandemic, and has not been resolved: “we lost 30% of the players, and an equivalent amount of collegiate players, but while the we have recovered the athletes, the same has not happened with the collegiate players, and we are very fair». In Girona there are nearly 70 Committee referees (who can whistle for seniors, preferreds and juniors) and about 60 in School, and this is where the main gap is. “These play the grassroots games, from premini to cadet, and they are the ones who have to keep growing to reach higher categories”, points out Santaló. In round numbers, a good half a hundred more collegiates would be needed, and about 40 of these would go to the School category.
Around 280 grassroots and regional basketball games are played every weekend in Girona. Many referees double, at least. “The profile is that of ex-players or ex-coaches who do not want to disassociate themselves from basketball, but there are also people who need some extra income and get it by refereeing”, explains the representative of the Federation. A School referee charges 20 euros, plus 6 kilometers, per game, while Committee referees, depending on the category they whistle, can receive between 20 and 40. Girona referees are aged between 16 and 67 years. The Federation organizes a training course and then whistles in the School category, initially accompanied by the corresponding tutor.
Last season, Girona basketball reached 9,713 licenses, a very high number, which is close to the historical maximum of 9,755. On the other hand, recovery has not been seen in the arbitration collective. Garrotxa and Alt Empordà are some of the counties where the problem has worsened and new vocations would be needed.
Today, the main referent of Girona basketball is Yasmina Alcaraz from Emporda, who whistles in the Endesa League and is also an international player. In FEB categories there are five members: Eduard Colomer (group 1), Xavier Girbal (group 2) and Lucas Arias, Nahuem Espelt and Cristian Ruiz (group 3). They whistle, depending on the category, in LEB Gold and Silver, EBA, Women’s League, Challenge League and League 2. The training course that the Federation promotes does not yet have a start date. It will start once there are enough applicants registered.
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