How do you tell a ref...

[adam14 182]

my team had a bad ref last night, we were up 5-2 then they score to make it 5-3 with 5 minutes to go, then the ref dusts off his whistle, which he didnt use all game and gave us 6 penalty´s and a 10 minutes penalty in an attmept to blatantly help the hime team, which as u can see wasnt us, we managed to win the game but there as a fight after the game but the refs didnt do ANYTHING, they went off the ice to there locker room and left the coaches to settle out the mess.

[Eazy_b97 1]

You can't really. I find most poor officials are either unable to do their job properly, so nothing you can say with sway them, or they simply chose to be jackasses for their own reasons. We've had more than enough of the latter this season. Some of these officials are making it difficult to continue in hockey, they instigate problems, refuse to discuss problems, put people in dangerous situations and are unable to handle it. Most are harping on the "not enough training" bandwagon right now, but that's not an excuse. If you are a poor coach, you go out and get help to become better or you don't get a good team. If you are a player and need help, you go get outside help (like shooting clinics or hockey schools) or you don't make the team next year. As a referee, when you do a poor job, the league backs you, you have the power to control the game, and you are essentially allowed to do what you want. It's the part of the game that bothers me the most.

[Chadd 916]

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

Any ref who does that deserves to be beaten and I've been a ref for ten years.

[tips09 0]

You can't really. I find most poor officials are either unable to do their job properly, so nothing you can say with sway them, or they simply chose to be jackasses for their own reasons. We've had more than enough of the latter this season. Some of these officials are making it difficult to continue in hockey, they instigate problems, refuse to discuss problems, put people in dangerous situations and are unable to handle it. Most are harping on the "not enough training" bandwagon right now, but that's not an excuse. If you are a poor coach, you go out and get help to become better or you don't get a good team. If you are a player and need help, you go get outside help (like shooting clinics or hockey schools) or you don't make the team next year. As a referee, when you do a poor job, the league backs you, you have the power to control the game, and you are essentially allowed to do what you want. It's the part of the game that bothers me the most.

I totally agree with you eazy

[Jarick 5]

It's incredibly frustrating. Ever since one game where it was a constant march to the box, the refs have had it out for my team, and call phantom penalties every time two guys go into the corner or someone falls over. Not a whole lot we can do I suppose.

On the plus side, I can do everything short of two-handing somebody across the helmet and not get called because I'm short. But the tall guys on my team take 2-3 minors a game just for being tall. Very frustrating.

[D-MaN88 0]

Eazy, I was thinking and thinking of something to say along the same lines as you and couldn't come up with anything useful.

The way I feel about everything is I don't condone shooting the puck at the ref intentionally in any way, but seriously I get so sick of the refs not having to back up what they do and don't do. It's like they are protected in their own little governing system and that's whatever league and rink they are working for. I haven't seen one ref that's been complained about (to a rink or to USAHockey directly have anything done to them.)

I'm not talking about all refs as there are still a select few out there that are fair and unbiased but seriously, if players should be held accountable for all of our actions, why shouldn't the refs be for theirs?

[Archangel#16 1]

Eazy, I was thinking and thinking of something to say along the same lines as you and couldn't come up with anything useful.

The way I feel about everything is I don't condone shooting the puck at the ref intentionally in any way, but seriously I get so sick of the refs not having to back up what they do and don't do. It's like they are protected in their own little governing system and that's whatever league and rink they are working for. I haven't seen one ref that's been complained about (to a rink or to USAHockey directly have anything done to them.)

I'm not talking about all refs as there are still a select few out there that are fair and unbiased but seriously, if players should be held accountable for all of our actions, why shouldn't the refs be for theirs?

There are a few accounts of refs who were reprimanded for their actions on the ice in my area. I know of one ref who cannot wear the orange bands because of complaints on her performance. Now all she does is line games

[wetwilly17 6]

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?

what level of play is it? i'm wondering because i'm only familiar with usa hockey rules and nhl rules. i know in usa hockey 'diving' is not a rule. just wondering because he gave you a penalty for falling.

[Engine37 0]

As a player, it's really easy to get frustrated with refs. I have been the victim of several "soft" or "phantom" calls this season. So I can really identify with other players who have posted here and described how frustrated they are with inconsistent or seemingly unfair refs.

Nonetheless, I have never once seen a ref change any call just because of what a player (or even a coach) said. Not one time...and I have watched a LOT of hockey. It might happen at the lower levels of the sport, but even in my rec league the refs don't change their mind at all. This is why I always do my best to just keep my mouth shut, especially when I disagree with the call. I do my best to give the refs the benefit of the doubt, because I know that they are going to make their calls (whether or not the calls are fair or good) regardless of what I say or do. There is no point in taking a penalty for unsportsmanlike, and hurting my team, just because I couldn't bite down on my mouthguard.

In those rare cases where the refs are REALLY unfair and are apparently trying to throw the game one way or another, I suggest taking it up with the league. I know it's frustrating to feel like the refs can do whatever they want, but realistically, they can in most cases. If they give up their authority and change the call because of what one guy says, they'll have 40 players screaming in their face after every whistle, and they'll no longer be effective as refs.

In most cases, I think that the refs intentions are good (even if it seems their vision is a little off sometimes :D ). So when they make a bad call, just shake your head, bite down on your mouthguard, and "skate it off".

[ktang 34]

I prefer having refs that make phantom or weak calls than the ones that let things get out of hand.

[DDude26 0]

I prefer having refs that make phantom or weak calls than the ones that let things get out of hand.

Thats kinda different view of this ktang, if u have refs thats making phantom or weak calls then things will get out of hand no matter what.

So thats kinda defeats the view you were making

[hockeydoc 0]

I prefer having refs that make phantom or weak calls than the ones that let things get out of hand.

Thats kinda different view of this ktang, if u have refs thats making phantom or weak calls then things will get out of hand no matter what.

So thats kinda defeats the view you were making

Totally agree. I've had games get out of hand for bs calls. I've never had one get out of hand for letting some stuff go. As long as both sides are playing the same way they tend to get less pissed for a non call, then a little hook or hold.

I've seen other refs have things get out of hand when letting stuff go...

I think the primary job of a ref is to manage the game in as unintrusive a manner as possible. It's not easy, but if you've raised a couple of kids you have a great advantage. It's very similar to regulating the behavior between two quarreling siblings.

[Jarick 5]

Maybe that's why older refs are so much better than young guys. Seems like all the 20-somethings want to make a call as often as possible and the older guys kind of sit back a bit.

[ktang 34]

If the ref is confident and willing to do the job properly, a phantom call may sneak in now and again (it should only be now and again) on the long-view infractions. But, if the ref doesn't care, very little gets called, the winning team gets hacked, and things can get out of control.

[BigDipper 0]

Refs are like cops, show them respect and they'll give it back. If you talk to a stripes with respect and maturity he's not going to do anything to you. Tell him, "people can get hurt out here and right now, you're the only one who can prevent it..come on help set the tone here" Every ref will listen to you and take into account what you said. Don't shoot a puck at him or anythign stupid like that...at the end of the day it's just not worth it. And if he doesn't listen? Well....take the two minute call and bitch him out. Tell him that guys are getting hurt and if he doesn't want a bloodbath on his hands where he might lose his measly 35 a game paycheck he'll smarten up and do the job that he is so talented and knowledgable at doing.

[sitzlejd 0]

I like the classic, "Hey ref you must be pregnant cuz you've missed two periods."

Oh wait...you don't wanna get thrown out.

[ashtonhutch05 0]

One ref I know is a manager of Arby's, and when he missed a call one time I said "C'mon Steve, you thinkin Arby's or something?". Didn't like that too much.

[JR97 2]

You play long enough and stuff evens itself out. I've gotten away with my fair share of crap and I've even had a ref let me know it when I got away with an elbow in a chippy game.

The worst was when we were destroying a team in the first round of the playoffs with no bench in roller hockey. One of our dudes gets tossed early. The next gets into a fight and received 22 min. worth of penalties and an ejection. That left 3 of us with one of us having to serve the 5 min. fighting major, 5 min. misconduct, and 2 min. slashing. I thought they'd drop the slashing but no sale. So I'm pretty much in the box for the remainder of regulation and not too worried since we're up by 4 goals or so with about 5 min. left in the game.

However, I can hear the other goalie telling his guys to get one of us to take a penalty and we'd have to forfeit for not having enough players on the floor. So sure enough, they were running us whenever possible. While in the box I was telling the ref what was going on and that it was getting out of control and told me to shut up. A few minutes later, my guy is behind our net looking to dump the puck and one of their guys steps on his stick and falls and my guy gets a tripping call. It took the refs a while to figure out what to do but had to call it a forfeit. When they made the call they quickly got out of there. Our goalie chucked his goalie stick at the refs earning some suspension time for the next season. Complaints to the league head were nil since the league head was the ref who made the tripping call.

[MojoJoejoe1987 0]

Buy them a Gatorade before the game. Seriously though, just talk to them a little before hand and kiss ass

[rinkrat94 1]

I prefer having refs that make phantom or weak calls than the ones that let things get out of hand.

Thats kinda different view of this ktang, if u have refs thats making phantom or weak calls then things will get out of hand no matter what.

So thats kinda defeats the view you were making

I agree with ktang. When refs get control of a game early and let teams know that the game will be called tightly, the games are usually clean. When the refs let things go, that is when things get dangerous and out of hand.

[Bravada 442 0]

Part of the problem too, in general, is the overall lack of interest in officiating. There are a lot of officials out there in all sports, Football, Basketball, Hockey, etc.. that should not be working games. They are either too young and don't have an adequate grasp of the rules and how to deal with players, or are too old and have become too slow or too hard headed to properly work a game.

Not as much a problem in beer league games but in high school, midgets, etc.. is that you don't always get the best officials for the higher level games. It doesn't matter what you know, it matters WHO you know. That is why you see some terrible officiating in playoff or higher level games because the guys that get placed in those games are really the guys that kiss most ass. It's not always the case, but it is more often that people outside the officiating community would think.

[Nutella 0]

Nonetheless, I have never once seen a ref change any call just because of what a player (or even a coach) said. Not one time...and I have watched a LOT of hockey. It might happen at the lower levels of the sport, but even in my rec league the refs don't change their mind at all. This is why I always do my best to just keep my mouth shut, especially when I disagree with the call. I do my best to give the refs the benefit of the doubt, because I know that they are going to make their calls (whether or not the calls are fair or good) regardless of what I say or do. There is no point in taking a penalty for unsportsmanlike, and hurting my team, just because I couldn't bite down on my mouthguard.

Well, when I began refereeing I made a few calls that got a few players in my face. Being new and usually being a 'softer' person, I listened to what they had to say and, in a few occasions, changed the call. This was all my first week.

After that I was reprimanded for changing the calls. They told me that even if I made a bad call I should go on as if it were right. They thought changing a call made me seem unprofessional and that if I ever changed one that players would get in my face for every single one... loss of credibility, it seems. So, yeah, I was told by my boss not to change calls.

From what I've found though, a lot of players really like me as a ref because I'll sit and listen to what they have to say. My other fellow refs here are the type that don't listen to any complaints.

To answer original question:

Just like everyone said. Use respect. I doubt any ref will do anything to you if you're speaking to him/her in a civil manner. If they choose not to listen, take it up with the director. Probably won't do anything, because at least in my case, the director is behind the ref no matter what. If I as the ref say the player is a liar and a bastard, then the director will listen to me and waive the player's complaint... not that I would do that.

[Law Goalie 147]

Frankly, it's easy. Do or say something brief and direct but civil in objection to the first call - silent headshake, an "I didn't trip him," whatever - and then a friendly reminder later. Something along the lines of, "Honestly, I didn't trip that guy. He just has two left feet. My buddy at the pro-shop had to sell him two pairs."

Another good way is to get your goalie to relay messages. Since the goalie is never a captain, it's unofficial, but the goalie can create a little window for conversation by hanging onto the puck after a whistle, making the ref take it out of his glove, then having a quick word. I've arbitrated a whole pile of stuff that way; talked a ref out of suspending one of our guys last year.