hockey officials gear

[scorer75 9]

First game tips:

1. Position

2. Position

3. Position

We all miss calls, missing a call is part of the game. Missing a call when out of position, that reflects poorly on you. Be inside the blue line on plays entering the zone, outside on plays exiting.

Try to avoid getting hit and affecting the play.

Always turn your body to the puck as the play is going on inside the zone. A good tool is to think about pissing on the puck. Stupid, but it works.

Plays coming towards you, point your skates toward the puck. Even if it hits your skates, chances are it deflects and keeps going in the direction it was going. If your skates are perpendicular to the puck, it'll hit your skates and stop.

Don't position yourself with your back tot he boards, a foot or two off the boards facing the play gives you the best view and most flexibility to get out of the way,

If you are uncertain on a call, err on the side of caution. Better to blow a play dead entering the zone than have a team score on a goal that may have been off sides entering the zone.

Do not expect players to avoid you or not shoot pucks at you. Protect yourself.

Give your line up if you have to. If your partner covers, great, if not, it's not worth holding your line to get hurt.

Do head towards the net on all stoppages, u never know when shit is gonna happen, and you can head it off if you are there.

Do not pay ANY attention to coaches or players yelling from behind you on a close play. They will work you all game to get a call. I did a game last week and a puck almost came out of the zone. I yelled and signaled good, the coach yelled off, I yelled good and play continued. The coach from behind me says "good call". Don't let them get to you, ever.

After the whistle, the puck is the least important thing on the ice. Make sure the players separate, then retrieve the puck.

After a goal, communicate to your partner. One of you go to the team that scored, and skate that team back to their bench. Keep them away from opposing players to avoid an altercation, especially in the second period when they will pass the opposing team on the way to their bench.

During a time out, stand between the benches, at least until the coaches start talking to their teams.

If the ref goes to talk to a coach, go with him. Stand a few feet away, do not get involved, but be there and listen. U being there protects the ref in case the coach later accuses him of using profanity or a racial slur. Yes, this does happen.

But most importantly, be in the right position, and have fun :)

[zebra_steve 11]

Re: Goalie and stick measurement.... the goalie in this case was the Captain :)

Goalie is not permitted to be a captain by rule. He is not permitted to cross center red line except to go to his bench. Either with your permission during a stoppage if he is to remain in the game, or just go if he's being pulled. local beer league that's non registered then all bets are off...

[tomh7 2]

USA Hockey Rule 202(a): ...No goalkeeper shall be entitled to exercise the privileges of Captain.

The rule does not say the a goalie cannot be designated captain, he just cannot exercise the rights of captain, and there is no distinction between youth and adult (although in adult league, more leeway is usually given).

[scorer75 9]

Goalies can and are captains. It is more ceremonial, a team leadership thing. But you are correct, for on ice purposes, goalies cannot act as the Captain. However, the point was made when he mentioned the illegal curve, it was an anecdote. I had no intention of measuring the stick nor assessing a penalty.

Regarding measurements, a tape measure is all you need and it is the one time an official is allowed to retrieve the rule book and a tape measure from the locker room to make a measurement. Personally, I have never been asked for nor do I know anyone who has been asked to measure equipment.

[215BroadStBullies610 434]

Read that rulebook haha!

[zebra_steve 11]

Why retrieve a rulebook? I have cheat sheet cards tucked into my riot pad. I have to say that the stick measurements were a lot more frequent 20 years ago...

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Why retrieve a rulebook? I have cheat sheet cards tucked into my riot pad. I have to say that the stick measurements were a lot more frequent 20 years ago...

Where does one acquire such cards?

[laserrobottime 148]

I make them myself. Just get blank index cards and cut them to fit inside your riot pad.

Only use them for measurements as you can't really reference them for anything else during a game.

[avery16 5]

anyone catch the finland sweden game today? tim peel i believe was the nhl referee.. his pants appeared to have a cuf at the bottom, never seen a ref do that before..

[avery16 5]

any of you guys use shine on your helmet? or what method do you use?

[laserrobottime 148]

Pledge furniture polish

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Refs shine their helmet??

[Chadd 916]

Refs shine their helmet??

There's a joke to be made there but..... Yes, you will find that many officials take the appearance thing VERY seriously. To the point of covering all logos with electrical tape, polishing their lid and even washing their laces regularly. Often, those people will insult everyone that doesn't do it.

[Stryker 37]

Lemon Pledge is the way to go

There's a joke to be made there but..... Yes, you will find that many officials take the appearance thing VERY seriously. To the point of covering all logos with electrical tape, polishing their lid and even washing their laces regularly. Often, those people will insult everyone that doesn't do it.

People wash their laces? I just buy a new pair for 4$ a month haha never thought of that.

[Chadd 916]

Lemon Pledge is the way to go

People wash their laces? I just buy a new pair for 4$ a month haha never thought of that.

Yep, I recall one guy that did it at least once a week. I had one guy rip me because my laces had the little black tics in them and another bitch because I used wax laces and they looked dirty.

[215BroadStBullies610 434]

There's a joke to be made there but..... Yes, you will find that many officials take the appearance thing VERY seriously. To the point of covering all logos with electrical tape, polishing their lid and even washing their laces regularly. Often, those people will insult everyone that doesn't do it.

At the higher levels (aka were money is king) this is expected. At the youth/developmental levels, I think one should look professional but no need to belittle others who don't care or don't know.

[Chadd 916]

At the higher levels (aka were money is king) this is expected. At the youth/developmental levels, I think one should look professional but no need to belittle others who don't care or don't know.

I've seen some pretty ragged looking guys doing junior and college games. It's all about being friends with the right people.

[avery16 5]

what do you guys do with your sweaters after use? wash em? put them in jersey bags?

[laserrobottime 148]

I wash after almost every game even though I rotate through six sweaters: two ref, four lines. College league and junior require name plates, college club uses vented under arms, youth and high school here use no name plates.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

I'll be washing mine, just as I wash all my other hockey related stuff after use.

[zebra_steve 11]

Where does one acquire such cards?

One rule book... one computer with Excel, One printer and some clear laminate...... You can make them as detailed as you want.... even make seperate sets for each league variation if you feel the need.

And sure you can reference them, you won't be looking for minor penalties, but you can take a quick peek if you are discussing the situation with your lineys and the other ref in 4 man if you are looking a 5\ 5+Gm\Match\DQ.....

As was said - pledge on the helmet... Some guys have taken buckets to an autobody shop for a paint job and others have used the gloss black Krylon rattle can paint formulated for plastics like outdoor lawn furniture.

As you work your way up through the ranks we coach you to pay attention to your appearance. Take pride in looking professional as well as acting professionally. If you come across with an atrtitude to a supervisor or an evaluator them expect to get knocked down several pegs and get nit picked. Also never forget that officiating is a small fraternity and who you know that is willing to make acall on your behalf goes a looong way towards getting a serious look for higher levels.

[IDoezIt 9]

Another quick question..

Since some rinks are BRUTALLY cold, and as a player, we use gloves which heat up after a few hard shifts but as for referees, they don't have that benefit. Thus, fingers get numb, start to hurt, and get cold. Are there any gloves that refs wear?

And its probably a dumb question, but us there a "stigma" with that? Like suck it up, be a man and endure the cold? lol

[laserrobottime 148]

Suck it up and endure the cold. I wore gloves once because it was -25 outside, the rink had no insulation, and when I attempted to drop the puck it stuck to my hand. Seriously.

And my partner still chirped me.

[215BroadStBullies610 434]

I can't stand the stigma but it is what it is haha. My hands freeze easily so doing those level games are tough. Better than being chirped by every partner you work with.

[BenderHockey 127]

Fuck it. I'd rather have a "pussy" ref that wore gloves, than a man that didn't. The ones with frozen hands are going to be focused on that, rather than the task at hand. Once they get miserable from the cold, they want to get out ASAP. Offsides and icings go the way of the dodo bird, and few, if any, penalties or other stoppages are called.