Refbook

Refbook is an Australian sports officials management platform, run by Refbook Pty Ltd and, in its own words, developed by officials who understand the modern game. It does one job: the admin behind referees, umpires, scorers, and every other technical official. Who is available this weekend, who is qualified for which grade, who is on which game, who has accepted, and what each of them is owed. Its co-founders are Jon Chapman, who leads the commercial side, and Troy Earle, who leads technology. Refbook says its customers span 12 sports, from local fields to international stadiums.

Appointments are the core. Refbook’s assigning tools hold the whole officiating group in one database, with qualifications, game history, and availability that officials update themselves. Assignors build the competition — teams, venues, courts, divisions, rounds — or load the fixture by bulk upload or API, then pick officials from dropdowns that only show who is eligible and free. Panel groups control who can be appointed to which games. Conflicts, such as an umpire whose son plays in the under-14s, are remembered for the season. Appointments can sit in draft until they are ready, then go out for officials to confirm or decline. For local and grassroots competitions, auto assignment fills a round from preset rules, officials can find their own replacement or swap games, and unfilled or unconfirmed games are flagged before game time.

The money and the paperwork come next. Refbook’s finance module calculates match payments from a pay schedule set by competition standard, qualification, and position, adds bonuses and loadings, takes expense and travel claims, and exports bank files for electronic payment. A built-in form builder handles match reports, incident and tribunal reports, venue inspections, MVP voting, and assessor feedback. For tournaments and carnivals, it can invite officials from outside the host organisation, allow back-to-back appointments across courts, and manage flights and accommodation. Officials work from the Refbook app on iPhone and Android: appointments, crew details, venue, availability, claims, and forms.

Basketball was first. Basketball Victoria named Refbook its Technical Officials Digital Partner in February 2021, describing it as the officials’ platform alongside its PlayHQ partnership. Basketball WA and Basketball SA followed that year, and Basketball Australia signed in December 2021 for the WNBL, the national wheelchair leagues, and the Australian Junior Championships. Water Polo Australia signed in 2022, with Refbook to be rolled out to every state body. Football Australia signed in 2023 for the A-Leagues, the Australia Cup, and national championships, and Football Victoria followed in January 2025. Refbook has also announced partnerships with Touch Football Australia and Basketball New Zealand, and was used to appoint umpires at the FairBreak Global Invitational, an ICC-sanctioned women’s T20 tournament in Dubai, in 2022.