MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup tournaments have demanded strong performances from referees who are looking to be selected for this year's flagship FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 in Germany. With a long list of 38 officials having already been chosen, only 28 will ultimately be given the green light to step out on the court in Berlin for this year's biggest FIBA competition.
Carl Jungebrand, FIBA Head of Refereeing, recently provided a valuable insight into the important role that the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Istanbul, Türkiye and the Women's U17 edition in Brno, Czechia have played in the process of selecting referees for this year's main show. Game officials need to show they are performing to a high level at this year's youth events to have an opportunity to take to the floor in Berlin.
"We need referees who are in their peak performance now," revealed Jungebrand.
"Past games don't guarantee anything. Even if you've refereed an Olympic Final, you still have to deliver in the next game. For referees, every assignment is a test, requiring them to prove their level of performance time and time again. "The long list also provides the necessary flexibility to amend the pool of candidates as required. Our priority is to ensure the highest standard at events." Jungebrand added, "Even after the final 28 have been selected, we typically maintain a reserve list of six to eight referees to account for unforeseen circumstances, such as injury or personal commitments. Referees on the reserve list are fully integrated into the training and preparation program to ensure they are ready to step in if required."
The referee development and preparation process will continue uninterrupted following the U17 events, running through to the eve of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 tip-off in Berlin.
Referees will follow a 15-week physical preparation program, before and after the youth events, with training activities monitored to provide additional support where needed.
"There will also be online sessions focused on discussing and demonstrating how we apply key information, as we expect referees to already have a strong understanding of the fundamentals," explained Jungebrand.
"Face-to-face work will take place in Germany when we gather four days before the competition begins," he concluded.
The short list of referees for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks. FIBA