Courses

At British Wheelchair Basketball, we recognise how critical Officials and coaches are to the success of our sport. This includes ensuring competitions and games can go ahead, to supporting safe and enjoyable participation. Without committed and passionate Officials and coaches, our sport couldn’t happen.

We are always looking to welcome new coaches and Officials into the sport, whether you’re already involved in wheelchair basketball or the running game, or are joining the sport for the first time.

Below you will find information on all our currently available courses, and how to register your interest for upcoming courses.

Book onto a course

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to build on your experience, these courses will give you the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to support players at every stage of their development.

Available courses

BWB Level 1 Assistant Coach Award
Our Level 1 Course is a great introduction to coaching and gives the learners the confidence to start their coaching journey in a supportive and fun environment. Available dates:

None currently available – please email [email protected] to register your interest

*Free for those awarded a workforce grant

BWB Level 2 Coach Award
Our Level 2 course is aimed at coaches who are ready to lead their own sessions and take on greater responsibility. Available dates:

None currently available – please email [email protected] to register your interest

*Free for those awarded a workforce grant

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who are the Level 1 and Level 2 coaching courses suitable for?
These courses are designed for anyone looking to develop their coaching skills. Level 1 is ideal for new or aspiring coaches who want to support coached sessions. Level 2 is aimed at coaches who are ready to lead their own sessions and take on greater responsibility.

No previous experience is required for Level 1, and Level 2 builds naturally on what you learn at Level 1.

2. What will I learn during the course?
You’ll gain a mix of practical coaching skills and theoretical understanding, including:

How to plan and deliver safe, inclusive and engaging sessions
Technical and tactical knowledge relevant to the sport
How to support players of different ages, abilities and experience levels
Effective communication and leadership skills
Each course blends online learning (where relevant) with practical assessments to help you grow in confidence and competence

3. What are the entry requirements for each level?
Level 1: Open to anyone aged 16+ with an interest in coaching.
Level 2: You’ll need to have completed a BWB recognised Level 1 coaching qualification (or equivalent experience) before progressing.

4. How do I complete the qualification?
Our tutors support you throughout the process to make sure you feel prepared and confident. To pass the course, you’ll need to:

Attend all sessions (online and/or in person)
Complete the required coursework and e-learning
Demonstrate practical coaching competency during assessments.

5. I can’t attend any of the courses available, what shall I do?
Please send us an email at [email protected] regarding the course you are interested in and we will keep your details on our waiting list and we will be in touch when other courses become available.

6. What is a Community Activators Award?
A Community Activators Award is an introduction to coaching course which is completed online. This will give you the basic understanding of how to plan and deliver inclusive grassroots sessions. This is suitable for anyone wanting to help out in development sessions and Inspire Leagues alongside another qualified coach. You must meet minimum DBS and Safeguarding requirements before receiving you License. For further questions on the Community Activators please contact [email protected]

7. How much are the courses?

Community Activators Award – FREE online course
Level 1 Coach is £200
Level 2 Coach is £400

Officials make our sport possible across the country, ensuring a safe and fun environment for all participants at all levels.

Available courses

BWB Referee Course
Our Referee Course is for anyone who has an interest to referee in our league games. Any questions on the course structure please contact us at: [email protected].

Available dates:

None currently available – please email [email protected] to register your interest

Already a running game referee, and interested in using your skills on a wheelchair basketball court? Get in touch with us at [email protected] and we’ll help you find a suitable Referee Conversion Course.

*Free for those awarded a workforce grant

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who are the referee courses suitable for?
These courses are designed for anyone interested in becoming a wheelchair basketball referee or to further develop their officiating skills.

The Community Officials Award is an introduction to officiating course suitable for anyone wanting to know more about Table Officiating and Refereeing. This award is suitable for those wanting to help officiate at development league level (e.g. Inspire Leagues)

The BWB Referee course is ideal for all levels and abilities who want to start officiating and advance your game knowledge to be able to officiate in national league games.

The Referee Conversion course is suitable to those who have an existing referee qualification in the running game and would like to transfer their refereeing skills into the wheelchair game.

No previous refereeing experience is required for the BWB Referee course, and the Referee Conversion builds on the knowledge and skills developed through the running game.

2. What will I learn during the course?
For Community Officials award this is an online course which will provide you with the basic understanding of the game and the rules of wheelchair basketball. This is an introduction to both Table Officiating and Refereeing so you can develop your skills and see which one is right for you, or both, before comitting to a full qualification.

For both BWB Referee and Conversion courses you will develop both practical officiating skills and theoretical knowledge, including:

Understanding the rules of the game and how to apply them in real situations
Court positioning, movement, and mechanics
Game management, including communication with players, coaches, and officials, including signalling
Decision-making and confidence under pressure
How to ensure games are played safely, fairly, and in line with regulations
Classification and Points

Each course includes a combination of learning methods (e.g. online webinars, online portfolio and in-person practical elements) to support your development.

3. What are the entry requirements for each level?
Community Officials Award: Open to anyone aged 16+ with an interest in Table Officiating or Refereeing in Development Leagues.

BWB Referee course: Open to anyone aged 16+ with an interest in Refereeing in National Leagues.

Referee Conversion course: You will need to have completed a recognised Level 2 referee qualification in the running game and have an interest in Refereeing in National Leagues.

4. How do I complete the qualification?

To complete the Community Officials Award you will need to complete all online learning.

To successfully complete the BWB Referee courses, you will need to:

Attend all required sessions (online and/or in person).
Complete any coursework and learning modules, including a Rules Test.
Demonstrate your officiating skills during practical assessments (e.g. refereeing games).

Our tutors will support you throughout the course to help you feel confident and prepared.

5. What opportunities are available after completing the course?
After completing your qualification and acquiring your BWB membership and Officials License:

You’ll be able to officiate games at appropriate levels of the game
You can progress through further referee pathways and qualifications

You may be invited to officiate at local leagues, competitions, and events

6. How much are the courses?

Community Officials Award – FREE
BWB Referee Course – £150 includes 1 year free BWB membership
Referee Conversion – £50 includes 1 year free BWB membership

Refereeing is a great way to stay involved in the sport, develop leadership skills, and be part of the wheelchair basketball community.

Table Officials are an essential part of wheelchair basketball, ensuring that all the action on court is competed fairly and to excellent standards. They manage the scoresheet, clocks including shot-clock, substitutions and more.

BWB Table Official Courses

All Table Official courses are available on the Basketball England website. We have limited Table Official vouchers available to cover the cost. Please email [email protected] to discuss course options and voucher eligibility.

A wheelchair basketball classifier plays a crucial role in ensuring fair and equitable competition by evaluating athletes’ physical abilities and assigning them to an appropriate sport class.

If you are interested in becoming a classifier please get in touch at [email protected]