Umpire education course unveiled by ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the release of the ICC Umpire Foundation Certificate, its first-ever educational programme for aspiring Match Officials.

The course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of umpiring so that they can acquire the knowledge and confidence necessary to officiate club-level games.

This newly released resource is completely free to access and is delivered entirely online via an innovative micro-learning approach, which allows courses to be completed at any tempo and through short, concise modules, whether at home on a computer or on the go with a mobile device.

As global cricket participation continues to increase, the newest offering expands the scope of the ICC Training and Education programme, which ultimately seeks to enhance the playing experience in member nations by expanding access to world-class educational resources.

By registering here, aspiring coaches and umpires can enrol in ICC Training and Education courses.

The ICC Umpire Foundation Certificate follows the successful distribution of additional Training and Education resources. The programme was launched in October 2021 with the release of the ICC Coaching Foundation Certificate – the first stage on the ICC's coach education pathway, which recently graduated its 6,000th graduate worldwide.

Since then, the ICC Coaching Course Level 1, the ICC Pitch Curator Foundation Certificate, and the criiio Cricket Programme Facilitator Training Course have also attracted a large number of participants worldwide.

General Manager – Development William Glenwright commented on the introduction of the ICC's first-ever certified umpire education course, stating, "The publication of the ICC Umpire Foundation Certificate represents a watershed moment in the evolution of the sport. With greater access to education courses than ever before, the ICC maintains its dedication to enhancing the playing experience of global participants.

This course complements the other resources we've introduced over the past two years in an effort to improve the quality of coaches, umpires, and curators in member nations.In addition additional courses, such as the ICC Coaching Course Level 2, are slated for release later in 2023.

The workforce instructed by the ICC to accredit umpires in all 108 member nations will be essential to the course's future success. The first cohort of 18 Umpiring Master Educators participated in theory and practical sessions in preparation for the introduction of the new course following a one-week workshop delivered in Dubai last month.

ICC Master Educators represent the highest level of the workforce hierarchy that facilitates the administration of education programmes in ICC Member nations. They are responsible for training and accrediting ICC Tutors, whereas Tutors deliver courses to aspiring instructors, umpires, and pitch curators.

Glenwright added, "By training a global workforce of Master Educators, we can ensure that every ICC Member has the tools necessary to train a local workforce so that they can deliver the various components of the ICC Training and Education programme as and when they are required."

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Claire Polosak, who was among the first group of ICC Umpire Master Educators to be certified in Dubai last month, stated, "I am delighted to be part of the first group of Master Educators providing ICC Umpire education courses to passionate communities in my region.

"The ICC Training and Education programme has already had tremendous success in increasing the number and quality of qualified coaches around the world, and myself and the rest of the group are excited to see the impact this resource will have on increasing the number of high-quality umpires officiating cricket matches around the world."