How to become a sports official
Official title: Sports official
Also called: Judge (sports), Referee (sports), Starter (sports), Steward (race track), Umpire (sports), Judge (sports), Referee (sports), Steward (race track)
Sports official administers the rules and laws of a sport and ensures fair play according to the rules and laws. He/she applies rules/laws during the sport or activity, contributing to health, safety and protection of participants and others during the sport or activity, organises sport events, establishes and maintains effective working relationships with competitors and others.
Main tasks
- Developing, planning and coordinating competitive schedules and programmes
- Officiating at sporting events or athletic competitions to maintain standards of play and to ensure that game rules and safety regulations are observed
Ways in
- Polytechnic or ITE: Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Sports & Health (Republic Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a sports official?
Ways in include: Polytechnic diploma.
Will AI change the work of a sports official?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026