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May 2026 Report Card

An overview of integrity, conduct and member protection matters managed across NSW representative basketball during May 2026.

Across May, 1,909 representative games were played across senior and junior leagues throughout NSW – more than three times the volume of April. The overwhelming majority – 98% of games – were played in the right spirit by players, coaches, officials, parents and spectators who consistently model the standards of behaviour our community expects.

Where conduct fell short, Basketball NSW acted. The summary below outlines the matters dealt with this month at a high level. Sharing this information openly is part of our commitment to transparency, education and continuous cultural change through Respect The Game.

1,909
Representative games played in May
98%
Played in the right spirit with no BNSW intervention required
43
Matters dealt with (fewer than 1 in 44 games)

May 2026 – Matters dealt with

Type of Matter Cases Outcome Summary
Tribunal Matters 18 Outcomes ranged from cautions and behaviour agreements through to suspensions of up to 15 weeks.
Zero Tolerance Complaints 14 Outcomes ranged from formal warnings to bans of up to 10 years.
Member Protection Complaints 11 Outcomes ranged from warnings through to a multi-month ban, a Working with Children Check clearance barred, and matters referred to NSW Police.

Key headline outcomes

From the 43 matters dealt with by Basketball NSW in May, the most significant outcomes included:

15
Suspensions
15
Bans imposed
3
Referrals to NSW Police
1
WWC clearance barred
A note on spectator behaviour

While the overall picture in May is a positive one, Basketball NSW witnessed instances of concerning behaviour from spectators that we view as a major concern for the sport. Our referees, coaches, players and volunteers – many of whom are young people – have the right to participate in a safe environment, free from intimidation or abuse from the sideline.

Respect The Game applies to everyone in the venue. Basketball NSW will continue to act firmly where standards are not met, and we encourage every parent, family member and supporter to back the standards we have set together.

April vs May – at a glance

Measure April 2026 May 2026
Representative games played 523 1,909
% played in the right spirit 90% 98%
Matters dealt with 50 43
Suspensions issued 10 15
Bans imposed 6 15

The headline: May saw more than three times the volume of games, yet the total number of matters dealt with fell from 50 to 43 – and the share of games played in the right spirit rose from 90% to 98%. Where action was required, however, Basketball NSW applied firmer sanctions: suspensions increased from 10 to 15, bans imposed more than doubled from 6 to 15, and the longest ban issued moved from 10 months to 10 years.

May highlights

  • Psychosocial Safety Baseline Reports released for both representative officiating and coaching communities, following the surveys conducted in April.
    • Officials Baseline Report: 15 recommendations to be implemented by the end of the 2026 representative season.
    • Coaches Baseline Report: 7 recommendations to be implemented by the end of the 2026 representative season.
  • Free online Respect The Game seminars delivered to the community:
    • Referees seminar presented by Jake Jennings – 59 participants registered.
    • Parents seminar presented by Amanda Hodgson – 212 participants registered.
  • 31 Member Associations have now adopted Respect The Game as part of their domestic basketball competitions. Basketball NSW continues to support Member Associations with branding, education resources and training to embed consistent standards at the local level.
From our Interim CEO, David Simpson

“It is encouraging to see that 98% of representative games played in May were played in the right spirit – particularly given how much basketball was played across the state, and the growing number of Member Associations adopting Respect The Game at the local level. That said, the level of concerning behaviour we saw from some spectators this month is unacceptable. Our referees, coaches and players – many of whom are young people and volunteers – have the right to do their job without intimidation or abuse from the sideline. Basketball NSW will continue to act firmly where standards are not met, while supporting the overwhelming majority of our community who model the right behaviours every weekend.”

Reporting an incident

If you have witnessed or experienced behaviour that does not align with our standards, we encourage you to report it. All reports are managed confidentially and reviewed by Basketball NSW’s Integrity team.

Report an Incident