Tournament officials
Referee Badges
Print 4 x 3 badges for referees, umpires, line judges and assignors, with each official's field or court assignment.
Sports and tournaments
Recommended templates
- Black and white referee stripes with a bright role tab, association and license number.Use this template
- Tall lanyard credential with the event, a white info card, room for guest details and a big role strip.Use this template
- Athletic slanted header with the coaching role, team name and season, colored by staff role.Use this template
Make every name easy to recognize
Prepare matching badges for referees, umpires, judges and assignors, with a clear role and current field or court assignment. Keep the officials in a separate list so an assignment change can be corrected without reprinting player or team badges.
Groups people often use
- Referee
- Assistant Referee
- Umpire
- Line Judge
- Scorekeeper
- Assignor
What to include
- Official's first and last name in large type
- Role, such as Referee, Assistant Referee, Umpire or Line Judge, shown in the stripe color
- Field or court assignment in custom1, like Field 4 or Court B
- Tournament name and dates, so this weekend's badge is easy to tell from an old one
- Certification grade only when your association issues one, copied from the assignor's records
- A distinct Assignor badge so officials know who handles schedule changes
Running referee check-in across many fields or courts
Keep officials in a separate list with their role and field or court assignment, then sort badges in the order used at check-in. Update the roster when assignments change and have spares available at the officials' desk.
Lanyards and whistles don't mix: wearing a referee badge safely
Use the badge for check-in and off-field identification, following the sport's rules for what may be worn during play. Choose approved attachments and remove anything that could interfere with whistles, equipment or movement.
Referee grades, umpire classifications and the patch on the jersey
Use verified classifications only when the governing organization permits them on the badge. Official patches and association credentials remain separate, while the printed event badge can show the assignment staff need that day.
How to make referee badges
Start with Referee Stripes at 4 x 3
Open the Referee Stripes template, keep the 4 x 3 size, and add the tournament name and dates to the header text. Drop in your officials association or tournament logo as a PNG or JPG up to 8 MB.
Turn the assignor's sheet into a CSV
Save the assignment sheet as CSV with Name, Role, Field and Grade columns. Map Role to group, Field to custom1 and Grade to title, leaving Grade empty for anyone without an issued grade.
Set group colors for officials and the assignor
Referee, Umpire, Line Judge and Assignor each get their own accent from the Group column. Preview officials with long names and let auto-fit shrink them to the badge width.
Print and stack by first game
Print the alignment test sheet, then the cut-line PDF on cardstock. Trim and stack the badges by each official's first game time for check-in.
Questions about referee badges
Should referees wear their badge on a lanyard during a game?
It's safer not to. A cord around the neck can catch on players, nets or equipment while an official is running. Have officials show the badge at check-in, then keep it clipped to a bag or tucked away until they leave the field. Your officials association's uniform rules come first, so follow them if they say anything about what officials may wear.
Can I make the official referee badge patch that goes on a jersey here?
No. That patch comes from the governing body or association that registers the official, and it isn't something a tournament can print. This tool makes paper check-in and identification badges for referees, umpires and line judges. They fit a 4 x 3 clear badge holder and help tournament staff recognize officials, but they don't certify anyone.
How do I put field or court assignments on referee badges?
Add a Field column to your CSV and map it to custom1, using short labels like Field 7, Court B or Diamond 2. If officials rotate between fields during the day, print their first assignment or their home complex and keep the full schedule on a board at check-in. Short labels also keep auto-fit from shrinking the text.
Does the Referee Stripes template work for baseball and softball umpires?
Put Umpire in the Group column and use the label override so the badge shows UMPIRE. Tournaments that name an umpire in chief can make that a separate group with its own color, so coaches and staff know who to find with a rules question. Plate and base assignments change from game to game, so leave those off the badge.
What should I do when a referee's assignment changes after badges are printed?
Don't reprint for every field swap. Update the master board at check-in and tell the official directly. Reprint only when the change affects what staff read at a glance, such as a line judge moving up to referee, which changes the color. Keep the design open on the check-in laptop, since it autosaves in that browser and one badge prints in minutes.
How many officials can I import from an assignor's spreadsheet?
Import up to 500 officials from a CSV assignment list at no cost, with no account needed to download their badges. Files can be up to 2 MB, so save Excel or Google Sheets assignments as CSV before opening them in the maker.
From the makers of BadgesGenerator
Build the tournament schedule before you print the badges
Plan your league or tournament in Sport Scheduler Pro, then use your team and staff lists to make matching credentials for coaches, officials and volunteers here.
Your assignor can only staff games that are on the schedule, so building the tournament schedule free in Sport Scheduler Pro gives you the game count behind every referee badge you print.
Your badges, printed in minutes
Start with Referee Stripes, add your logo and names, and print your first set free for up to 500 people.