Umpiring
Find and book your place on umpiring courses, and join the ECB Association of Cricket Officials (ACO) GACO WebsiteGloucestershire Association of Cricket Officials (GACO) are ready to train the next generation of umpires
The ECB Umpire Course has been developed throughout, to engage a new audience of umpires. The course is a blended learning offer with both an e-learning module and practical face to face day.
The course has been designed for umpires wanting to umpire in entry level competitions such as junior cricket, softball festivals and all social cricket. We want to change perceptions of umpires and encourage more people to enjoy volunteering from what we believe to be The Best Seat in the House at a cricket game. The ambition is to grow the umpire workforce to be more reflective of the communities that play our game. The ECB Umpire Course is an exciting new course for people to learn about becoming a cricket umpire whilst having a go.
Become an ACO Member
Find out more about the benefits of joining the ECB ACO. Once you join, you become part of the GACO community!
Want to umpire?
ECB Basics of Umpiring
This course is easily accessed online and is aimed at those who are interested in knowing more about the key laws of the game and how to umpire, without committing to the formal ECB Umpire Course.
Completion of this learning does NOT grant access to the ECB Umpire Progression Pathway, and completing the full ECB Umpire Course is required to join the pathway.
Designed to provide foundational knowledge of the game of cricket, the learning is aimed at those who are new to cricket, umpiring or are a parent/guardian looking to support their child at their club.
The module takes approximately 60 minutes to complete.
Minimum age is 13 years old.
ECB Umpire Course
This course is designed to give new umpires the key skills, knowledge and confidence to stand as an umpire in cricket. No prior experience of umpiring in cricket is required before attending the course.
Whether you plan to support Junior Softball cricket through to adult cricket, this course will cover the following topics:
– Understanding the role of the umpire
– Gain a basic understanding of umpiring the game
– Answering appeals and the common methods of dismissal
– How to communicate effectively with all stakeholders in the game
– Judging whether or not it is safe to play
Umpire Development Course
This course is the follow-up to the ECB Umpire Course and is aimed at those people who are interested in umpiring league matches and other competition games. The course consists of 7 modules:
- pre-match
- dismissals
- scoring runs
- dead ball,
- unfair play
- managing player conduct
- player safety
Are You Ready To Call Play
ECB Basics of Umpiring
The module takes approximately 60 minutes to complete.
Minimum age is 13 years old.
Free of charge
ECB Umpiring Course - Oasis Academy, Brightstowe
Sunday 22 February 2026, 10:00 – 17:00
Oasis Academy, Brightstowe
£70
Umpire Development Course - Frocester CC
Sunday 8 March 2026, 09:30 – 16:30
Frocester CC
£25
Nicky Clarke / Workforce Manager
Nicky joined GCF from Somerset Cricket Foundation, where she spent 4.5 years gaining valuable experience supporting clubs and leagues, in cricket operations, and with volunteer workforce development. At GCF, Nicky is responsible for supporting the development of the people who make recreational cricket happen, covering everything from grass to game!
Nicky has spent many years supporting the WEPL Board, providing expertise in using Play-Cricket, player registration, and managed migration to clubs across the West of England. She is also a qualified coach, umpire, and scorer who has been lucky enough to score at the county ground in Taunton on a few occasions, including England Lions v South Africa in 2022.
Nicky’s home club is Weston-super-Mare, where she is a long-standing volunteer and has been integral in rebuilding the women’s and girls’ section following Covid. On the rare occasions she’s not doing something cricket related, she has two boys who prefer the social side of cricket to the playing side, she likes to read, run (slowly), and is a half-marathon survivor.
