Local international FIBA basketball referee, Bernard Vassallo, and local FIBA instructor, Leonard Falzon, were in Gran Canaria this week in order to attend for separate intensive and innovative FIBA referees’ and instructors’ clinics.

These clinics, which were held in collaboration with the University of Las Palmas, contained many new twists in the education of European referees. They are new projects by FIBA aimed to introduce a professional system of continuous learning.

The Potential Referees Clinic is the first ever done by FIBA and 24 referees from all over Europe were expected to attend. Bernard Vassallo was one of the referees nominated for this clinic in which, apart from the various compulsory tests in rules (written and video tests), physical preparation, blood and medical examinations and game related lectures, each referee had to officiate local Spanish games using the three-referee mechanics.