Do Referees Control or Lose Control of Games?

Referees of all sports take much verbal abuse from fans. No matter what the officials do, someone will be upset. It's often joked by officials that "we didn't do our job well if someone is not happy."

Players, coaches, and fans often throw out the "you better get control of this game before it gets ugly" -even right after a penalty is called. As if the official was the one that just hit the player in the head with the stick. Of course the officials can REACT to a situation and assess a penalty which may help calm the situation-but that is not guaranteed. The players themselves have the biggest impact on what occurs; coaches would be next up; then lastly would be the referees and fans. Yep, the fans too. I've worked many high school aged games where a crowd that loudly cheers for big hits will directly contribute to players forgetting about playing hockey and instead focus on delivering the next big hit to hear the crowd roar once again.

Below you'll find a good question and answer posting that deals with this topic. This article can also be found on the USA Hockey's "Ask The Official" site. Matt Leaf holds the title of Director of the Officiating Education Program for USA Hockey.

QUESTION:
What is up with the Officials in High School Hockey? I just came home from a game and the officiating was terrible. Several players were hurt, a coach and player were thrown out. The game was totally out of control. You know with the talk of "no tolerance" from the fans, the officials need to start doing their job so that everyone stays in control. What is it going to take to get the high school level of officials to start doing what they get paid to do? I am writing to you because I really am not sure who to address this issue to. This is not the first game that has been like this. I am just tired of sitting in the stands and watching this outrageous behavior go on game after game. These players are teenagers, they get frustrated when there is continuous illegal hitting, slashing, hooking, etc. and nothing is called. The officials need to step up and do what they have been taught to do. Is there no recourse for these officials? I believe this group of officials' need to start working on how to improve the calls and control at the games.
-- Lori Sheive and similar concept from many others

MATT'S RESPONSE:
First off, with all due respect, a player and a coach received severe enough penalties to be thrown out of the game (and ultimately suspended) and the officials lost control of the game? If throwing them out doesn't get their attention, what exactly can an official do to encourage the players and coaches to be accountable for their actions and control themselves?

As you can imagine, this is a no-win situation for administrators. I will be the first to admit that we have some officials who do not call enough penalties. However, I am also going to say that it is not the officials' job to control the game. The official's role is to enforce the rules to the best of their ability. Ultimately, it is the players who have to be responsible for their own actions and the coaches have to be responsible for the actions of their team. Just because an official does not call a penalty, under no circumstances does a player have the right to hit an opponent over the head with a stick. You mention that teenagers get frustrated when continuous illegal hits, slashing and hooking take place. My question is why is it occurring in the first place? Who is coaching these tactics? Why would a coach let his team do that in the first place? Why would a parent let his/her kid slash someone consistently without addressing it with him/her? I've seen games where the officials called 35 penalties and the game was still out of control. Is that the fault of the officials? There is much more to the game of hockey being played fairly than the officials calling penalties. Maybe the officials you refer to are not doing a good job. But from what you describe, the root of the problem is not the officials, it is something that is happening long before game time that encourages players to play in a reckless, careless and unsportsmanlike manner.

With that being said, USA Hockey and the Officiating Program has every intention of holding officials accountable for their actions. That is why we have an education program that is recognized throughout the world as a leader in officiating education. That is why we also have an avenue to file complaints against officials that has been outlined in a previous edition of "Ask the Official". If officials do not want to enforce the rules, then we do not want them assigned to games. Basically, you need to submit the complaint, in writing, to the Local Supervisor of Officials in your area. They are then in a position to conduct an investigation and take the appropriate action. However, I must caution you that it is difficult to investigate the judgment of an official from a game that has already occurred. It is also difficult to distinguish between those complaints that are legitimate versus those that are biased and unfounded. Just think, have you ever been at a game where you thought the officials did a pretty good job and, yet, the spectators from the other team are complaining? Have you ever seen a spectator scream at a referee when he/she has called a penalty? So, who is right?

The bottom line in what you should expect from the officials is that they are professional, they enforce the rules, they work hard and do the absolute best they can every time they step on the ice. I still believe the vast majority of the officials do that, but we seldom ever hear about them. They are not going to be perfect and will make some mistakes. But they are also probably the only people in the rink who have an unbiased perception of what is actually going on.