Basketball Federation of North Macedonia held preseason seminar for referees, delegates and controllers
Three-day seminar at Hotel "Drim" (25–27 September 2026) gathered referees, delegates and controllers for tests, lectures and workshops.
The Basketball Federation of North Macedonia held its preseason seminar for referees, delegates and controllers from 25 to 27 September 2026 at Hotel "Drim", marking the official start of preparations for the 2026/2027 competition season.
Programme and speakers
The opening ceremony was led by General Secretary Tomche Stojchevski, FIBA referees manager Manuel Maconi and the chairman of the Referees Commission, Alija Ferevski. That first evening also included a short introductory workshop for referees attending a preseason seminar for the first time, run by Tomi Panov, FRIP1.
On Saturday referees completed the physical "Leger" fitness test, while delegates and controllers took part in a dedicated session titled "Review of last season’s controls and guidance for the upcoming season", presented by Blashko Klincharov and Alija Ferevski.
An intensive theoretical and educational programme followed, featuring presentations by domestic and international lecturers:
- Manuel Maconi, FIBA Europe – "Development path of referees"
- Miodrag Licina, FIBA Europe – "Disruptive foul / Flagrant foul"
- Miodrag Licina, FIBA Europe – "Moment of the shot – 2026 changes and additions"
- Miodrag Licina, FIBA Europe – "Covering the play (primary/secondary defensive player, primary/secondary area of responsibility)"
- Petar Denkovski, NI at the Basketball Federation of North Macedonia – "Technical foul – 2026 changes"
- Manuel Maconi, FIBA Europe – "Game control, Communication under pressure"
- Petar Denkovski, NI at the Basketball Federation of North Macedonia – "New referee signals, new notations in the scorebook and changes to IRS rules"
The working day ended with a recap of the sessions, followed by a communal dinner and a social cocktail for participants.
Sunday’s programme included a video workshop conducted by Miodrag Licina and Petar Denkovski, and the session "Analysis of officials' work last season and recommendations for the next," presented by Aleksandar Milojević, commissioner of the Basketball Federation of North Macedonia.
The seminar concluded with a theoretical test for referees, delegates and controllers, a formal closing and a shared lunch.
With the completion of the 2026/2027 preseason seminar, the Referees Commission reaffirmed its commitment to continuous education and professional development, emphasising rule updates, unified criteria, game control and communication as priorities for the new season.
Photo: Sgt. 1st Class Shelman Spencer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
