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It takes a lot to make it as an NBA referee. We’re talking years of blowing the whistle in college and the G League before even stepping onto the NBA hardwood. You’ve got to know the rule book and hundreds of terms like the back of your hand. There’s a specific way your eyes scan every movement, and every play. There’s a determined place to stand like an actor hitting their mark, and different responsibilities based on where they do. And then there are the hours you must spend every day critiquing your performance in the NBA Replay Center. 

A referee’s responsibilities on any given night are endless, and the mastery needed to call a clean game extends well beyond the court, which is why the NBA’s Referee Development Program is so immersive. 

The RDP serves as a pipeline to the NBA, producing the next generation of League referees by teaching the intricacies of NBA officiating through an osmosis-style learning environment. One where potential refs dive into a three-year crash course composed of teaching the processes of a League official while providing experiences like the G League Winter Showcase and Basketball Without Borders to put that newfound knowledge into practice.

Each year, the program’s lead, veteran NBA official James Capers Jr., finds new ways to review the expansive amount of material. With a set sequence attached to every step on the hardwood, the time spent on the League Operations floor inside the NBA’s office in New York City is vital for long-term success in the field. 

Pat O’Connell, a member of the inaugural RDP class, learned of the office’s importance first-hand as the most recent addition to a growing list of former RDPs turned full-time NBA referees.

“It was kind of eye-opening for me because at first; all I really wanted to do was get on the floor and referee. But what the RDP does is prepare you to become a professional referee, and you learn that there’s a lot more to the job than just on-court refereeing,” O’Connell says.

There are game-day meetings, film and working in real time with the Replay Center. There are weekly one-on-ones with Capers to practice everything down to challenges and announcing calls to an arena. They’ve even got scouting reports for teams they frequently see. The amount of preparation that goes into a game off the court often amounts to more than the time spent running endline to endline. 

“I mean, today’s a game day for me, and my preparation started at nine o’clock this morning,” O’Connell says. “I met with the crew at 11 a.m. I had a Zoom call with one of my bosses at noon.  We’re headed to the arena at 5:30 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. tip. Won’t get back to the room until about 11 p.m. And then I wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. That’s one thing the RDP taught me—just what it takes off the court to become a successful referee on the floor.”

Former college hooper and RDP member Noble Tsumas is currently in the thick of the program’s all-encompassing environment, where she and the group work out of the NBA office and officiate pro-am games throughout the week.

“I also really was attracted to [the program] because I want to develop as a young professional as well,” Tsumas says. “All the time that we spend in the office, understanding the background of it, the business part of it, the operational parts of it, when we do get hired into the NBA, it’s only going to make us better employees for the NBA.”

Monthly meetings with Capers have been instrumental in Tsumas’ journey toward locking in the new information. The sessions consist of being given case plays to review and analyze along with a monthly 50-question Rules Test. Each meeting serves as an opportunity to reflect and receive detailed feedback on their recent performances. The goal is perfection, knowing reaching it isn’t a reality. But in the search for it, they fall upon excellence. 

“There’s no reason for you to ever stop chasing excellence. So, in that regard, just understanding that excellence is a finite thing, but it’s also the standard of what keeps me pushing and staying driven and motivated,” Tsumas says.

The three-year program is more than just a pipeline to officiating and working within the nuances of the League; it helps set the foundation for the games that tip every night.

Photos via NBAE/Getty Images.