National Certificate in Sport-Officiating – Level 3

What is this National Certificate in Sport?

Starting in September 2014, Touch NZ entered into an agreement with Skills Active Aotearoa, whereby our current Level One and Level Two referee courses have now been benchmarked to NZQA standards.  This means that our referees who come to meet those standards will be cross credited to achieve a National Certificate in Sport-Officiating - Level 3, providing they have attained the age of 16 years.

Who are Skills Active Aotearoa

Skills Active Aotearoa is New Zealand’s Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for the recreation, sport and

fitness industries. They are a government-funded organisation and their role is to develop and facilitate

world-class, nationally recognised qualifications that meet the needs of your business.

That means providing employers and business owners with solutions for qualifying their staff through

recognising the training and experience they provide their staff on the job. These solutions provide value

to their business and a competitive edge in the marketplace.


Where does this National Certificate fit into TNZ Referee training and development

  • Touch Module Referee Course (TMRC), a preliminary course offered at provincial level
  • Referee Level One Course, a one-day workshop with a multi choice exam
  • TNZ Referee Level One badge
  • Referee Level Two Course
  • TNZ referee level two take- home written exam
  • The National Certificate in Sport-Officiating
  • TNZ Referee Level Two badge
  • TNZ Level Three badge
  • TNZ Level Four badge


What are the benefits to TNZ Referees

 The benefits accruing to TNZ Referees in gaining this National Certificate are manifold

  • It is a tertiary qualification supported by the New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA)
  • It is a formal acknowledgement of specialised skills and training
  • It is a qualification demonstrating skill sets desirable across all sports
  • Aligns with and supports referee and officiating development
  • Demonstrates to future employers you have some of the skills to be an effective manager
  • Many of these skills are transferrable to follow other career paths


How do you enrol for the National Certificate in Sport

  • You must be registered as a TNZ referee within any province in New Zealand
  • You must complete the Skills Active Training Agreement (form attached)
  • You must submit a proof of identity that you are a NZ citizen or have NZ residency


Requirements to achieve the National Certificate in Sport

  • You must be a qualified TNZ Level One badge holder
  • You must have attended a TNZ Level 2 workshop
  • You must have achieved a minimum of 75% pass mark in the Level 2 written examination within two (2) years of the Level 2 course date you attended
  • You must have completed at least two (2) full seasons as a Touch NZ referee
  • You must complete a match report for which you are a referee
  • You must complete a self evaluation of a game in which you have refereed
  • You must have used a Touch NZ Diary


Existing L2, L3, L4 referees, who qualified as a Level 2 referee prior to September 2014

Skills Active NZ have very kindly offered these referees (you) an opportunity to also achieve this National Certificate in Sport-Officiating at NO COST providing:

  • You complete the Skills Active Training Agreement (form attached)
  • You must submit a proof of identity that you are a NZ citizen or have NZ residency
  • You must complete a small take home exam to attest competency in those unit standards which were not part of our processes when you were becoming a Level 2 referee
  • You must complete a match report for which you are a referee
  • You must complete a self evaluation of a game in which you have refereed
  • You must have used a Touch NZ Diary
  • You must have been refereeing continuously since achieving your Level 2 badge

If this is something that interests you, please respond to this email directly to Vanessa, who will send some prescribed reading material and the exam to which you must achieve a minimum of 75%.  Your Provincial Director will attest to your continuing on field refereeing.

Some of you have already completed the Skills Active Training Agreement but not yet completed the other requirements.

Once all the above requirements are met, we will submit your name to Skills Active Aotearoa who will in due course issue you with the National Certificate in Sport- Officiating.   In addition to this the unit standards you have now achieved will be listed on your NZQA Record of Achievement.

Be in quick to enroll as this generous offer from Skills Active Aotearoa may not be on the table for much longer.


Unit Standards supported by the NZQA upon completion of the National Certificate in Sport-Officiating

Unit No.Title LevelCredit

26222Demonstrate and apply knowledge of obligations, responsibilities and duties of sports officials36

26223Apply sports rules and regulations while officiating in a competitive sports event36

26224Complete pre-competition preparations as an official at a competitive sports event33

21639Explain stress and stress overload and manage personal stress in a sports situation33

21644Review personal performance as an official in a competitive sports event33

26221Apply knowledge of conflict management as a sports official46

26225Communicate in a sports environment as a sports official34

13377dentify and manage hazards and risks in relation to a recreation activity and environment34

26421Demonstrate understanding of game tactics and strategies  as a sports official for a competitive sports event44

20673Demonstrate knowledge of injury prevention and risk and injury management in sport and recreation34


Record of Achievement All referees who complete the Skills Active Training Agreement will be allocated a unique National Student Number (NSN).   Referees who are still at college will already have their own NSN.

When you achieve this National Certificate in Sport, the 43 credits, as indicated above, will be automatically added to your record of achievement. 

Provided your current NCEA Level course has included sufficient achievement in both numeracy and literacy credits, some of the credits obtained in the National Certificate in Sport can be used to get you sufficient credits for you to achieve either your NCEA 2 or NCEA 3 certificates.

For referees who are considering applying for career positions, your record of achievement can be printed out and pasted into your Curriculum Vitae (CV) for submission with your job application.  The Unit Standards achieved will be displayed in full for potential employers to view.

Proof of Identity

You will need to carefully follow the instructions as listed at the top of the Skills Active Training Agreement, particularly if you do not have a current NZ Passport.

This proof of identity needs to be submitted at the same time as your completed Skills Active Training Agreement.

For more information please email Vanessa.