Pickleball Canada National Championship 2021
Officiating
Level 1 Referees will be compensated $5 per match
Level 2 Referees $7 per match
Certified Referees $10 per match.
Volunteer referees with the appropriate training are also encouraged to referee, space permitting.
Officials – As many of you know officiating in Pickleball is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. Where else can you get a front row seat at no cost? Whether you are refereeing or being a line judge you get this same front row seat. Regardless of the level of pickleball you are officiating, whether it be your local members’ tournament, a sanctioned tournament or a regional or national championship, you have a close-up view of some great rallies and the athleticism of some highly skilled players.
In preparing for the Pickleball Canada National Championships, we all need to be well versed with the 2021 Official Rules and the Best Practices required to be truly professional and respected as officials. With 2020 having a limited number of tournaments, this 2021 National Championship Tournament hosted by the Red Deer Pickleball Club will most definitely be a great event.
As the Director of Officiating in Alberta, I am excited to see all the great players and officials from across Canada come together in Red Deer for the first Canadian National Championship to be hosted in Alberta. We are fortunate to have 8 Certified Referees in Alberta and have developed a good training program for prospective referees. We have Certified Referee Trainers in Southern, Central and Northern Alberta who will travel to clubs regardless of location to deliver classroom and on the court training.
The Red Deer Pickleball Club has put a tremendous amount of time and resources into this tournament to make it a lot more than a tournament but also a great show and event. Whether you plan on attending as a Referee, Player or Line Judge, you will surely have a great experience. As Referees, Players or Line Judges you will want to hone your skills prior to August to be prepared.
For Line Judges to prepare for this event you should also review the new rulebook, paying particular attention to Section 13 which addresses Tournament Management and Officiating. Line Judges should also do the Line Judge Exam online on the Pickleball Canada Website.
I am looking forward to meeting and seeing you in Red Deer, August 10th- 15th, 2021 for the Pickleball Canada National Championships.
Garand Jones,
Pickleball Alberta Director of Officiating
Alan Thomson Certified in Arizona January 2016. Refereeing since 2014, including all Nationals Registered Referee Trainer 
I have been refereeing for approximately 13 yrs and have been a certified referee since 2017. Barbara Dueck, Port Coquitlam, BC – Certified Referee 
I have been refereeing pickleball since winter of 2017 and was evaluated and passed my Referee Certification in April of 2019. My wife, Julie, and I have recently moved to Spruce Grove where we play pickleball with the Parkland Pickleheads and have been active in training and mentoring new referees throughout the province. We spend our winters in Palm Desert, California where I enjoy pickleball, hiking and the sunshine. Brian Sribney, Spruce Grove, Alberta – Certified Referee 
I was certified as a CR March 2018. The first tournament I refereed was the Duel in the Desert at Palm Creek Resort in Casa Grande, Arizona in 2007. If we wanted to play we had to ref. Dennis Tomkinson, Sherwood Park, Alberta – Certified Referee 
I have refereed for 3 years. I was Certified in March 2020 Bruce Eburne, Pitt Meadows, BC – Certified Referee 
Started Refereeing Pickleball in 2015 Became Certified in February of 2020 in Pebble Creek in Goodyear, Az President of Parkland Pickleheads since 2017 Director of Officiating Pickleball Alberta Member of National Officiating Advisory Council Garand Jones, Spruce Grove, Alberta & Goodyear, Az – Certified Referee 
I have been reffing Pickleball in Canada, New Zealand and US including Hawaii, for 8 years and Certified for 3 years. Ed Kriese, Osoyoos, BC – Certified Referee 
I have been refereeing sanctioned tournaments for about 8 years, both in Canada and the USA. I have been a USAPA Certified Referee since 2018. I live in both Red Deer, Alberta and Surprise, Arizona. Jane White, Red Deer, Alberta – Certified Referee 
I became USAPA Certified Referee in Feb 2017 and got re-credited in Feb 2020 for another 3 years Jim Michaluk, Winnipeg, Manitoba – Certified Referee 
Karen Hill was the first Canadian to become a Certified Referee USAP in early 2017, after refereeing for a few years, both in Canada and in the USA. Karen, who lives in the Perth County, outside Stratford Ontario, is the Head Official for Pickleball Ontario. Karen Hill, St Pauls, Ontario – Certified Referee 
I have been refereeing pickleball since winter of 2017 and was evaluated and passed my Referee Certification in October of 2019. My husband, Brian, and I have recently moved to Spruce Grove where we play pickleball with the Parkland Pickleheads and have been active in training and mentoring new referees throughout the province. We spend our winters in Palm Desert, California where I enjoy pickleball, glass arts and the sunshine. Julie Sribney, Spruce Grove, Alberta – Certified Referee 
I started refereeing in 2011 at the USAPA Nationals in Sun City West AZ. I spend 5 winters at Palm Ceeek Resort in Casa Grande AZ where 1,000 Pickleball Club members played daily on 32 courts. I achieved my USA Pickleball Certification in 2017. I successfully achieved my re-certification in 2020. My last major assignment was the Palm Springs, Indian Wells 2019 USAPA Nationals where I refereed 55 games over the 10 day event. I have refereed in excess of 1,200 matches in all. I learn something new about the game and it’s players each time I referee. Ken Purvis, Kamloops, BC – Certified Referee 
I received my Certified Referee accreditation in January of 2018 My USAPA Certified Referee status was recently renewed for another three years.I recently refereed at the Pickleball Canada Nationals in Kelowna in 2018 and the USAPA Nationals in Palm Springs in 2019. I started training and mentoring referees in Saskatchewan right after my own training was complete and have been a member of Pickleball Canada’s National Officiating Committee since 2018. Karen Rust, Regina, Saskatchewan – Certified Referee 
I have been refereeing for approximately 13 years and certified in 2018 Rod Dueck, Port Coquitlam, BC – Certified Referee 
Refereed since 2017 in AZ, CA and BC and was certified in Jan of 2019 Peter McLean, Vernon, BC – Certified Referee 
My name Is Trevor Burndred and I am from High River, Alberta. I have been playing pickleball for four years. After playing in numerous tournaments in Alberta and a few in the United States. I took an interest in reffing. I had reffed several tournaments as a volunteer before I decided to try for my USAPA certification. I wrote my ref exam online in 2017 and met with George McCulley (USAPA referee evaluator) in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. George evaluated my ref skills and certified me on Aug. 16th, my Dad’s birthday! I was then recommended to ref at the U.S Nationals 2018 in Indian Wells, CA. I was asked to return to ref in 2019 where I had the honor of reffing on center court for the top ladies team, Simone Jardim and Leighann Waters. This was definitely a highlight! I became referee in chief for Alberta in 2020. I am looking forward to reffing at the Canadian Nationals in Red Deer, August 2021. Trevor Burndred, High River, Alberta – Certified Referee 
I have been officiating pickleball for five years. I received my USAPA certification in February of 2019 in Pebble Creek, Arizona. I live in Comox, BC, and am the president of the Comox Valley Pickleball Association since October of 2017. Rick Folk, Comox Valley, BC – Certified Referee