How do you tell a ref...

[wrstlnggator 0]

Bluntly, the refs from the game I played last were awful. Setting aside the 5+ infractions committed against me personally that were not called (including one time where I got a penalty for falling when being pulled down to the ground by an opponent), the thing that made me angry the most was when one of my teammates was blatantly elbowed, started bleeding, and nothing happened except for my teammate being told to leave the surface until he stopped bleeding. My team even won 5-1, and I'm pissed. Do any of you have any advice as to how to tell a ref to stop sucking without getting thrown out of a game or getting a penalty?

[Krev 86]

Shoot the puck at them on a dump in. :P

[chippa13 1844]

Best advice, contact the league and talk with them. If the guy running the league is smart, he'll be sure your team doesn't see those refs again. Dumping a ref is a better business decision for a league than losing a team.

[Remman 0]

Telling the rink or league commissioner is the best way. Refs don't see everything but I'm assuming the refs saw the penalties. If you don't plan on playing there anymore I would say something to them, either during or after, although during might make it more interesting...

[DBLMINR 0]

i think i've played with those reffs before!lol. i get back at em by catching them on the boards. sooner or later they'll be in the wrong place at the wrong time, then give it to'em

[TBLfan 25]

Just talk to them, they're people too. It might not stop the stupidity but reminding them that they are their to keep the players safe is a much better idea than shooting the puck at them.

[Jake 0]

The refs in the garbage league I play in use slew-footing as a technique to break up scrums.

[hockeydoc 0]

Some refs just suck. You really can't tell them much to get them to change the way they are calling the game with out "it getting more intersting". If they suck they will almost for sure kick you out, and hve the authority to do so for saying something to them. Communicating to the league officials in a respectful and constructive manner is the only way. Not that they will always listen, but like said above they have a compelling reason to care, sucky refs usually do not.

[opus22 0]

or they may have just seen the game completely differently than you. as a former ref for like 12 years i can tell you i had someone tell me the same thing almost every adult rec game i ever reffed, and it was usually equalled out by someone else thanking me and telling me i did a great job. sometimes they were on the same team. usually the lower level of play the more people gave me a hard time. maybe your right, maybe your wrong - but the first step is to go directly to them during intermissions or after the game and ask specific questions about specific plays you felt werent handled properly. listen to what they say without interrupting, and if you feel the need to rebuke do it respectfully. if the guy is a jackass and wont explain then youve actually got something to say to the league director about. otherwise, youre being a prick trying to go over his head and affect his livelihood, not to mention the league director wont care if he's worth his salt, he should be behind his guys. if multiple complaints are made about the same people then usually a league director will try to get to the bottom of it, and hopefully watch some games.

youre best bet is to establish a reasonable rapport with the guys you just dont get, and do it respectfully so they wont have any problems explaining to you what they think. in the end its always their decision, you dont want to be the guy screaming at them all the time, even if they do deserve it. things wont improve for you.

[Archangel#16 1]

Shoot the puck at them on a dump in. :P

If you do that, be careful to make sure it looks like you didnt shoot it towards them on purpose. If he thinks that, he can give you a game misconduct for abusing the ref.

[rinkrat94 1]

or they may have just seen the game completely differently than you. as a former ref for like 12 years i can tell you i had someone tell me the same thing almost every adult rec game i ever reffed, and it was usually equalled out by someone else thanking me and telling me i did a great job. sometimes they were on the same team. usually the lower level of play the more people gave me a hard time. maybe your right, maybe your wrong - but the first step is to go directly to them during intermissions or after the game and ask specific questions about specific plays you felt werent handled properly. listen to what they say without interrupting, and if you feel the need to rebuke do it respectfully. if the guy is a jackass and wont explain then youve actually got something to say to the league director about. otherwise, youre being a prick trying to go over his head and affect his livelihood, not to mention the league director wont care if he's worth his salt, he should be behind his guys. if multiple complaints are made about the same people then usually a league director will try to get to the bottom of it, and hopefully watch some games.

youre best bet is to establish a reasonable rapport with the guys you just dont get, and do it respectfully so they wont have any problems explaining to you what they think. in the end its always their decision, you dont want to be the guy screaming at them all the time, even if they do deserve it. things wont improve for you.

If the league director is worth his salt, he will want the refs to enforce the rules and make sure that the players are safe. It's beer league, it should be fun. Lousy refs are just as dangerous as the asshole who thinks that a beer league is the NHL.

[Krev 86]

Shoot the puck in their general direction on a dump in. :P

If you do that, be careful to make sure it looks like you didnt shoot it towards them on purpose. If he thinks that, he can give you a game misconduct for abusing the ref.

Fixed. :P

[Super Star 0]

Shoot the puck in their general direction on a dump in. :P

If you do that, be careful to make sure it looks like you didnt shoot it towards them on purpose. If he thinks that, he can give you a game misconduct for abusing the ref.

Fixed. :P

NEVER EVER DO THIS THIS, you will be done for the season + the ref can call the cops on you for assault and while you probably would not go to jail unless you actually hurt him bad its a lot more trouble then its worth.

[trevor13478 1]

Shoot the puck in their general direction on a dump in. :P

If you do that, be careful to make sure it looks like you didnt shoot it towards them on purpose. If he thinks that, he can give you a game misconduct for abusing the ref.

Fixed. :P

NEVER EVER DO THIS THIS, you will be done for the season + the ref can call the cops on you for assault and while you probably would not go to jail unless you actually hurt him bad its a lot more trouble then its worth.

that, it why we aim below the belt, not at the head :P

[Krev 86]

Shoot the puck in their general direction on a dump in. :P

If you do that, be careful to make sure it looks like you didnt shoot it towards them on purpose. If he thinks that, he can give you a game misconduct for abusing the ref.

Fixed. :P

NEVER EVER DO THIS THIS, you will be done for the season + the ref can call the cops on you for assault and while you probably would not go to jail unless you actually hurt him bad its a lot more trouble then its worth.

Trust me, in a high pace game, a shoot in towards them isn't going to be that noticeable. Especially if you really are going off for a change after you dump the puck. I've only done this a select couple of times. Most memorable was a non-call for them that got turned on us, in a championship game that cost us the game with about 2 minutes to go. Every chance I got to ice the puck, I fired it right at the glass where the linesman was standing. We lost one to nothing.

For the record, my center got a blindsided punch to the face, and he got called for roughing.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

I've only done this a select couple of times. Most memorable was a non-call for them that got turned on us, in a championship game that cost us the game with about 2 minutes to go. Every chance I got to ice the puck, I fired it right at the glass where the linesman was standing. We lost one to nothing.

I don't understand why anyone would risk doing that when they're behind by one goal in a championship game.

[rinkrat94 1]

Shoot the puck in their general direction on a dump in. :P

If you do that, be careful to make sure it looks like you didnt shoot it towards them on purpose. If he thinks that, he can give you a game misconduct for abusing the ref.

Fixed. :P

NEVER EVER DO THIS THIS, you will be done for the season + the ref can call the cops on you for assault and while you probably would not go to jail unless you actually hurt him bad its a lot more trouble then its worth.

Trust me, in a high pace game, a shoot in towards them isn't going to be that noticeable. Especially if you really are going off for a change after you dump the puck. I've only done this a select couple of times. Most memorable was a non-call for them that got turned on us, in a championship game that cost us the game with about 2 minutes to go. Every chance I got to ice the puck, I fired it right at the glass where the linesman was standing. We lost one to nothing.

For the record, my center got a blindsided punch to the face, and he got called for roughing.

Shooting the puck at a ref is a pussy move. Act like a man.

[Krev 86]

When you're 13, it's very hard to control your emotions in a game like that. At least it was for my team, dunno about the rest of you. But that was years ago, and my original post was meant to be a joke. Do I recommend it? No. Do I laugh about the thought of it sometimes? Yes.

[TheBert 0]

There are refs on this board. Don't be surprised if you get tossed from games for trying this mickey mouse stuff.

[5minutesforfighting 0]

Yeah, a lot of the refs are actual hockey players or have been hockey players at one point. Everyone makes mistakes, no one can see everything.

Have a little respect.

[Krev 86]

Oh, I know. I'm also a part time ref. Strangely though, I became a ref after that game. On the mindset of "I'll never make stupid calls such as that one!".

[mack 44]

If it gets lopsided like that I'll just keep it short with something to the effect of "both/two ways."

[sabby47 2]

Being a ref, the best way for a player to approach me is to ask (not scream or yell) between periods or at a stoppage in play. Most refs will take the time to explain things to you.. and yes just because you saw something doesn't mean we always will when we're trying to watch on/offsides, high ice and low ice, icing.. If they're being uncooporative you can either talk with the league coordinator or write/call the district head ref.

[masterpeice_patrice 4]

just look him in the eye and use the anger in a positive way and make it felt on the ice. example.. jerome iginla.

[ktang 34]

Some games, we (the refs) see everything and make all the right calls. Other games, we are screened or are looking at another part of the play on all the major infractions, and we aren't supposed to guess. Kind of like, when we play, some games we get all the bounces and other games the hockey gods are going for the other team.

As others have said, if you approach the refs calmly in the intermissions they should give their view of the contentious plays ("I was screened on that play", "I was on the far side of the 'L'", "I was looking at those other two players", "I was checking out that girl").

Sometimes the ref has the better view of the play, and sometimes the players' bench has the better view.