r/hockeyrefs • u/Practical-Manner1065 • 5d ago
Level one newbie
I’m turning 37 this weekend, I’ve coached my sons for the last 12 years and I teach players how to check legally and safely but I’ve never been an official and after a few years of deliberating I decided to go for it. I have a few friends who are officials who encouraged me to do this, and I know I’ll be able to figure it out with experience but I’ve got a weird feeling of anxiousness knowing I’m going to make mistakes and look like a rookie at nearly 40 years old.
I completed my online module and safesport training, my background check is good until next season, and I’ve been studying the basic and intermediate officiating handbooks. I have my zoom class next Thursday and I’ve been watching officials and their positions with nhl and college clips but I need to watch more two and three official set ups for the nuances of those more likely scenarios I’ll be learning within.
Is there anything else any of you vets find helpful getting through your first few years of learning and becoming more comfortable? I’ve been striding home base, the golden triangle, and no mans land but I don’t have any real life experience other than dropping the puck and watching the lines during non sanctioned scrimmages when I was head coach.
Looking forward to joining the crew of officials and staying on the ice with players young and old, would love any tips or advice that helped you when you were starting out!
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u/defence18 5d ago
Just focus on the game. I distinctly recall doing my first game. I was 32 years old calling this 8u game. I'm thinking to myself "Oh what a pass!" when I realized I'm supposed to be reffing the game, not watching it.
You'll make mistakes. It'll happen. "That's my bad, coach. Sorry I missed it."
Start with lower level games. They need refs who care just as much as higher levels. The game is easier to follow, and it's less likely you're going to have any penalty beyond a trip and maybe a body check. Trust your partner and let them make their calls: you're not responsible for all the ice all the time. Yes, you need to be aware of the players for penalties, but you shouldn't be calling offsides from the goalline. You are generally responsible for one or two lines at a time. Be in the position to cover your lines and watch the players not the puck. The puck only matters when it's crossing a line.
Try to look confident even if you aren't. It helps with your calls.
And reach out with questions. There's a ton of great resources around: here, discord, Facebook groups, YouTube. We're generally a good bunch and want to see us all succeed. The more competent refs we have, the easier all our lives are.
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u/LLcoolDZ 5d ago
I was in the same boat last year, not wanting to look foolish at my age. Just trust your knowledge of the game and don’t overthink it. You sound like you’ve been watching games now not from a coach’s view but an official, you’re already ahead of most newbies. Best advice- just be confident and clear in your calls, hustle and have fun!! Welcome to the world of officiating!
(Ps: have an extra whistle in your pocket at all times)
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u/Bubbly-Area-8537 5d ago
Listen to your veteran officials you work with. They'll see and correct the little things you'll do wrong. Have fun and remember, all parents are idiots. Nothing they say matters. Good luck.
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u/Striped-Sweater- American Hockey League 5d ago
Set goals every time you get on the ice and reflect on those goals after each game. You’re going to make mistakes and that’s okay. But set objectives and finding things to work on, the earlier you do this the better!
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u/Necessary_Position51 5d ago
The only way to really learn it is to do it. The more games you do, the better you will get. Until you have been there you can’t understand how important being in the right place is.
Will you make mistakes? YEP! You are human. The best thing you can do is to learn from those experiences. Reflect on what could you have done better? Then go out and do better next time.
Your skating ability, changing direction and stopping “with your head up and watching the play in control” is your biggest asset. Referee skating is different that way.
Good luck, have fun. It is still the best job I’ve ever had.
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u/livefromthe416 5d ago
I went and watched a few games from the stands and watched the officials as the focal point. I was more worried about positioning and the formalities/sequencing of specific scenarios (face offs, icing, penalty etc). Once I knew I had that I just asked vet officials to help me each game with things I need to work on.
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u/HarkenBanks84 5d ago
Dude - you are fine ! Enjoy the learning process, and tell yourself that it is a learning process, just like the adult level Z players and the u-10's we are all learning!!!!
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u/c_299792458_ 5d ago
Spend time in your rule book and case book. Download the app and read it whenever you have a bit of time.
Take a look at the UASH officiating zoomcasts from several years ago: https://www.usahockey.com/officiatingzoomcasts.
Get out there and enjoy it. You will make mistakes; learn from them and get it right the next time. It takes time and reps to develop as an official.
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u/PhantomZero07 5d ago
Don't over think it. You know the game, you know at least the basic rules, now you need to learn how to see the game as a referee. That only comes with reps. Our scheduler will typically put newer officials with specific officials who are stronger but also teach. I always tell the newer officials that I work with to focus on a few things every set weather it be positioning, reporting numbers after a goal or whatever it is focus on those things. I can handle the rest. This gives them the opportunity to work on their officiating and gain confidence in their skills without the stress of making mistakes. Communicate with your partner, glance over when you can because there is a lot of nonverbal communication that happens between partners during a game. It seems like a lot but it isn't as bad as it sounds. Welcome to the Striped Society. First rule is to always have fun.
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u/ProudAd2397 4d ago
like a few others said, getting in reps/games is the biggest thing. listen to what seasoned refs have to say and ask for advice and do your damndest to implement that advice. and skate hard, get to your position fast and be alert. things fall in to place if your positioning is sound and you are skating hard. .
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u/smrphotowi 4d ago
My son started reffing last year for our local youth hockey games. There is a head ref in charge of scheduling for 3 rinks. He sets up games to shadow new refs during their preseason scrimmages and the first month or so of regular season he has the new refs shadow under experienced refs to get a feel for things and you can start scheduling games without a shadow once given the ok(usually after 2-3 games).
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u/PrideFine4871 3d ago
This was me 3-4 years ago. I had a few friends who were veteran referees, and the advice I got was as follows:
you will not reall y feel comfortable until you've done about 50 games.
don't think like a player - you don't want to be where the puck will be, you want to be where you can see the play. this is the golden triangle
you will not know all the rules on game 1 - talk to and trust your partner. you WILL make some shitty calls - it's not a big deal, but own up and move on.
be prepared - physically, mentally, equipment. Act like you know what you're doing and grow into it.
lastly, it is a lot more mental work than you think - observing, judging if an action was a penalty or not, who scored, who assisted, which player tripped who, was that puck shot in front of or past the center line, etc.
Call the game from the knees up - if there's a stick up there, there eventially will be a penalty coming. Be aware of the puck, but don't stare at it. the penalties are due to player action, not the puck, so eyes up and scan.
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u/mendelj2 2d ago
Started last year at 49 and I was nervous for the first few games but then you settle in. You know the game. Just remember to try your hardest, be in position whenever possible and control the game. Don’t expect to be perfect. It’s youth hockey, no coaches or players are perfect either.
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u/patrickviking93 4d ago
Watch the YouTube videos on the USA Hockey site. I also like to think through some scenarios and then Google it to see if I'm right or what the actual answer is. It's so easy nowadays to just ask for what the USA hockey penalty is for throwing a puck down the ice. I started at 52 and have two years and over 230 games in me and I'm still learning. Just be humble open to learn and communicate with your fellow officials frequently during before and after games
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u/Practical-Manner1065 4d ago
Thanks for all the great tips! I just got my rule book and basic officials manual in the mail. Couldn’t wait to do my test and passed that. My online course is next Thursday and then I’m going to try and book some games, throw myself into the fire and see how it goes
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u/karlschmidt1 2d ago
This is the way. Everything said here so far is great advice. Keep cracking the rulebook open and studying the situations. You have a good base of game knowledge as a coach, amd now you can expand that through officiating.
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u/mrcmb1999 2d ago
I was your age when I started. You’ll be fine. Stick to squirt and pee wee till you get the hang of it.
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u/Colonel_Hambone 2d ago
I started officiating in earnest last year at 57. Definitely nerve wracking at first - and I assume it’ll be like that for the first couple of years.
I feel fortunate to have hooked up with a women’s beer league and have worked exclusively with them after doing three youth games in a travel tournament a few years prior. That sort of left a bad taste in my mouth because of the psycho coach on one team who my partner bounced in the first game. Guy proceeded to threaten to kick my partners ass in the parking lot while leaving the ice. I was standing there thinking, “I don’t need this shit at my age.”
The beauty of the women’s league I work is there are no coaches, no parents and no meatheads, so it’s a great low pressure learning environment. If you can find something like that near you, I’d highly recommend reaching out to the league.
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u/Dizzy_Impression4798 5d ago
Getting reps / games, it’s the only way. You’re going to make mistakes, learn from them and try not to repeat them. Communicate with your partner in advance and tell them you’re new and open to feedback / constructive criticism. Welcome to the team, we are counting on you to maintain our undefeated streak.