Frequently Asked Ice Hockey Referee Questions

I ref mens league and frequently there are some common questions that come up. Here I will try and narrow down the most common questions asked by adult league players. I have tried to simplify the answers in my own words, because sometimes the jargon used in the ref manual is too complicated and hard to understand.

• Checking from behind - Rule 607
  • minor + misconduct or major + game
  • head first = major+game
• Goalie leaves his crease during play - Rule 205 (e)
  • During a stoppage of play, a goalie may not leave his crease to go to the bench. (without permission from a referee or a substitution)
• Slashing a goalie when he has covered the puck - Rule 633(d)
  • A lot of times I’ll see novice players go after a puck if the goalie doesn’t have it all the way. DO NOT DO THIS! Touching the goalie after he has the puck is a huge no-no, and you will get a penalty for it. In the NHL you’d get punched in the face for even touching a goalie.

THE BLACK AND WHITE ADVISIOR (Refs Corner)

One thing I see Mens Leaguers do which really annoys me is getting on the ice too early. I think this comes from 2 things:

1. Players are too excited to get on the ice and not waste thier precise ice time.
2. Players do not fully understand why the ice needs to ‘settle’.

When the Zam presses a new sheet of ice what happens? The machine scrapes the top layer of shaved ice off of the rink, and lays down a thin layer of hot water in it’s place. Why is this important? If you get on the ice and skate around as soon as the Zam door closes, the water never gets a chance to freeze. As a result the ice is soft, brittle and chips very easily. As a result of this, the puck bounces and you can not grip and bite into the ice as well when skating.

To clarify (because there has been some confusion) as a referee, the reason I sometimes close the rink doors and restrict players from getting on the ice within the exact nano-second which the door closes, is to let the water freeze. This is for the benefit of the game, to let the water sit and freeze for 2 minutes so there is not a pond behind the net.

So next time you are at the front of the line, ready to go on for warm-ups, stop and wait. Visually examine the ice and check to see for large puddles in the corners. This is a good indicator it is ‘safe’ to get on. Also this check will insure not only happy referees, but happy Zamboni drivers, and an overall better run game.

-The B League Referee