When you become a hockey referee, you must be prepared to handle high intensity situations with the calm
needed maintain the flow of the game.
Hockey allows a level of physical play which goes beyond most other competit
ive team sports. The hockey referee must understand what contact is allowable and what violates the rules.
Because of the fast pace of the game, the hockey referee should be an excellent skater, able to start and stop quickly.
A thorough knowledge of the rules and an understanding of the movement of the game is essential for the hockey referee to correctly enforce the rules. The speed of play requires that the physical conditioning of hockey officials be almost the same as that of the players.
Hockey Referee Training
The career of many hockey officials begins with enrollment with USA Hockey. To become certified you must pay a membership fee and complete an open book rules exam. Thereafter, candidates must complete a hockey referee seminar which includes classroom and ice time. There is no minimum age, but it is recommended that new hockey officials not work their own age classification or higher.
To learn about becoming a hockey referee at the high school level, select your state from the choose a state page and follow the links to your state’s athletic association.
Hockey Referee Equipment and Uniform
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- Hockey Skates
- Hockey Sweater
- Finger-type whistle
- Elbow pads
- Black hockey helmet
- Girdle
- Shin Guards
- Equipment bag
