Umpires and scorers frequently become involved in their cricket roles as parents of young players, who progress as their children get older, or after their own playing days have ended.

Whatever their background, they all share a love of the game and a passion to be as good as they can be at their chosen role - whether that be club cricket on a Saturday afternoon, proceeding to a national panel and domestic cricket, or, in the case of umpires, reaching the pinnacle of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Elite or International panels. Regardless of your ambition, getting started in umpiring or scoring is easy!

The first step in becoming involved is to contact your local umpire or scorer training officer - click on the icon under 'In this section' to view the list of training officers and their contact details.

For umpires, a Regional Training Officer (RTO) is based in each of the six Major Associations (Auckland, Northern Districts, Central Districts, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago) and is responsible for training programmes throughout their region. The four Major Associations made-up of various District Associtions (ND, CD, Canterbury, and Otago) have their own Area Training Officer (ATO) who delivers training sessions at the local level. For scorers, each Major Association has a Scorer Training Officer (STO) that undertakes the corresponding training role.

After a prospective umpire or scorer has made contact with their relevant Training Officer, they will be given beginner's information and opportunities to involve them in school, club, or other matches will be decided.

This initial involvement will depend on the background, knowledge, and experience of the new recruit. During these initial games the new umpire or scorer will be informally assessed by the Training Officer, in conjunction with feedback from fellow umpires or scorers, and a more formal training programme will be planned.

Proceed to Training and Examinations for more information.