Last week we surpassed the mid-point in the NOA Basketball Meeting schedule. Much has been covered. Training materials will be uploaded to the NOA website in the coming weeks as we progress to the start of the 2026-27 IHSA basketball season. There's still plenty of good content to cover, so join us this week!
NOA Receives IHSA Grant
The NOA was awarded a $500 grant by the IHSA. We will be using these funds to purchase headsets to be used in basketball and football clinics to enhance the observer programs with "live" communication during summer and pre-season games. Look forward to these tools at the next NOA-sponsored clinic or training event.
Looking for a Promotion?
The IHSA and NOA are making it easier to achieve a promotion to Recognized and Certified status. The IHSA no longer requires the recommendations from Certified officials, Athletic Directors or Head Coaches. The NOA will help prepare you for the test.
A letter from Melissa Burt and the IHSA Officials Department is posted on our website containing:
- Promotion Process
- Promotion Eligibility
- Promotion Exam Information, Dates and Reminders
Please review this important information by this link.
Where and When will I see my promotion eligibility?
The IHSA will be managing testing and promotion through Arbiter this season. Officials will see the 3-year and 5-year service lines on their Arbiter Sports account. These are promotional/level lines. The winter sports promotional period will open November 24 - December 1. Once your status is loaded and the promotional exam opens, officials will see their status as Certified, Recognized, or Registered. Officials who were Certified during the 2025–26 school year will not need to take Promotional Exam – Part 2. There will be a hyperlink in Arbiter to initiate the Promotion Exam. Your status will be updated by November 24 at the latest. Additional promotion information will be emailed to officials after November 1.
The NOA will be supporting your exam preparation with test review for the Part 2 Exam. We have had great success with candidates in the past, Join us to raise your status and visibility through the promotion process.
Week 3 Meeting Recap
Fred Allman presented on 2026-27 Basketball Rules, Rule Changes, Editorial Changes, and Points of Emphasis as a State Rules Interpreter and Clinician. Since the shot clock is a significant change in IHSA basketball this season, we reviewed the Shot Clock Rules, Mechanics and Protocols. Several documents were uploaded to the website specific to the Shot Clock administration for Officials and Operators. The meeting closed with a discussion and Q&A session regarding the CHSBA pay status for the local conferences. Fred has sent emails to his officials working his select conferences to enlighten officals as well.
Jason Boston's session ("Working with your Crew") from last week's meeting will be re-scheduled to a future date.
Week 4!
The next meeting is this Wednesday, October 28 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at Vernon Hills High School.
This week we will feature Joshua Schroeder who will be presenting a review on Officiating using video replay as a tool for learning. Joshua delivers an excellent spectrum of play situations enabling you the opportunity to validate your own understanding while learning some new perspectives via slow-motion video replay. In basketball, we don't have VAR or replay - we need to be in position and understand the rules to make the right call. Join us for this annual meeting favorite presentation.
Assigners Panel moved forward one week
We currently have Jeff Schwarz, Steve Bellmore and Pete Androus to offer their perspective for officials with the Assigners responsibilities in mind. Hear first-hand what is expected from the Officials when working games and how the Assigners can help you track to you goals as a referee. This is a great opportunity to reacquaint or introduce yourself to the primary basketball assigners in our area.
Don't forget to join other officials (including Football and Flag) for a post meeting/post-game social following this week's meeting at 8:45 at Emil's Pizza in Mundelein. (604 N Lake St, Mundelein, IL 60060)
The schedule for the rest of the season includes the following topics and speakers:
November 4:
November 11
- Jay Lampel - You make the call
- Special Speaker - Troy Whalen - NOA State Finals Official
