Puck Out of Sight

In case you missed it, The NHL referees have had a couple of questionable calls this week. The specific issue is the "intent to blow the whistle" ruling. We referees have a hard job and even the NHL guys can make mistakes.

Below you'll see two examples, links to the video, and then information on what USA hockey says about these situations. Take a look at the videos and info.

Example 1, Red Wings (Click for link to video):

Example 2, Leafs/Hurricanes (Click for link to video):

The NHL has admitted that the Red Wings play should have been a goal. It is pretty clear the puck is in the goal well before the whistle has blown. But as a referee we don't have the benefit of instant replay, so what do we do?

USA Hockey says:

Rule 630 Puck Out of Sight and Illegal Puck:

(a) Should a scramble take place, or a player accidentally falls on the puck, and the puck is out of sight of the Referee, he shall immediately blow his whistle and stop the play. The puck shall then be “faced-off” at the point where the play was stopped, unless otherwise provided for in the rules.

Situation 2 (From the Case Book):

The puck is outside the crease and the goalkeeper, who is lying on the ice after making a save, reaches out and partially covers the puck with his glove. What happens if the Referee is satisfied that the goalkeeper has enough control to cause a stoppage, but before he can get his whistle to his mouth the puck is shot into the goal? Goal or no goal?

No goal. Rule Reference 630(a).

As soon as the Referee decides that play should be stopped, that is when play is stopped. Whether or not the puck enters the goal in the split second it takes between the time he has reached that decision and the time it takes to bring the whistle to his mouth and blow it is not a factor.

Summary:

I feel the key point in the USA Rule Book & Case Book is the "split second" wording. In the Red Wings example, the puck is clearly in the net for a few seconds before the whistle is blown. If I were the referee here, I would have skated as fast as I could to be in proper position at the goal line, blown the whistle, then as fast as I could look in the net to see if the puck is there. If the puck is in the net I rule it a goal. If the puck is not in the net, then no goal. I would decide what to call only when I see where the puck is located. I'm betting the NHL ref doubted himself when he saw the puck in the net, and probably thought "uh oh!" (I've done this myself - IT HAPPENS and it doesn't feel good.)

We can use the "out of sight rule" only for the split second it takes between knowing we will blow our whistle and actually blowing it. Two or three seconds delay is too long to wait if we want to use this rule in justifying our decision.

In the Leafs example, you will see the referee has his whistle in his mouth before the puck enters the goal. We can't see when he loses sight of the puck, but because his whistle is at his mouth I think he could say he was intending to blow the whistle. He is in the tough spot of having to look for the puck in front of the goal as well as in the goal at the same time (which just isn't possible).

Also, talk to your partner. Maybe he saw something that will help. Maybe he saw the puck go into the net exactly as it happened. If so, he could tell you and the two of you can make a team decision. Make the decision as quick as possible. The longer we take discussing things, the less we seem like we know what we're doing.

Make the decision and explain the decision to the coaches if they seem confused. They may not like the decision, but if we can follow the USA Hockey rules and guidelines, while being in proper position, then we are doing the best we can do.

Take care and see you on the ice!

When an Official Does Not See a Penalty

In last nights NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators, Jarkko Ruutu appears to bite the finger of the Sabres Andrew Peters. Take a look at the video before we discuss what penalties-if any-to assess.

I said what penalty, IF ANY, because there are instances where the official(s) will not see the infraction. In this NHL game the Referees did not see the actual biting occur and consequently did not assess a penalty. Once Peters started flailing his hand around and yelling, I bet each of the two Referees were thinking “did I just miss a very severe penalty?!?”

Hockey is a fast paced game and the officials have to keep track of up to 12 players on the ice at a time. It's to be expected that the referees will not see everything. It has been my experience that excellent positioning gives an official the best opportunity to see a penalty; but during a gathering of players a lot can occur simultaneously. This video brought up a several questions in my mind:

• How clearly do you as an official need see an infraction to assess a penalty? For a minor penalty one may be able to assess the penalty without getting a great look at it, however for a severe penalty (biting) the official (or linesman) should see it to assess it.
• Can you assess a penalty based on the victims reaction alone? The reaction of a victimized player can be a good indicator of a past action, but this reaction should not be the sole determining factor in what penalty to assess.
• Can you check the player's hand for a cut, then assess a penalty based on the findings? This happens often for high stick penalties; why not in this case? If the officials did not see the infraction, then the cut hand could have come from a separate incident.
• What if the victimized player is indulging and merely trying to trick the official into assessing a penalty?

Calls get missed but let's hope it's not frequent or more severe than this NHL example.

Supplementary Action:
Even though the NHL officials assess no penalty during the game, I'm betting Gary Bettman will be taking a look at the video and determine if Ruutu will be suspended.

USA Hockey allows for supplementary disciplinary action to be assess by the appropriate governing bodies. When a Match penalty is assessed, a formal meeting and review will take place to determine the exact severity of the suspension to be served.

USA Hockey Rule references:

From the Rulebook:
Rule 603 Attempt to Injure/Deliberate Injury of Opponents (Head Butting)
(a) A match penalty shall be imposed on any player who deliberately injures or attempts to injure an opponent and the circumstances shall be reported to the proper authorities for further action. A substitute for the penalized

Pg 212: Situation 2:
If a player “bites” an opponent during an altercation, should this be considered an attempt to injure and a match penalty assessed?
Answer: Yes. Rule References 603(a).
A match penalty must be assessed whether or not there is
actual injury.

Pg. 243: Situation 12:
The Linesman is trying to stop a fight between two players, but before he can break it up, one player bites the other on the finger causing profuse bleeding. Should the Referee assess the offender a match penalty for deliberate injury and, if so, should be assessed a fighting penalty as well?
Answer: Yes. Rule References 613(e) and 603(a).
The Referee should assess a match penalty as well as the fighting penalty. As a general rule, assess the most serious penalty which occurs during any single altercation and do not penalize the lesser offenses. In this situation,

What if a player bites an official?:
Pg 209, Situation 14
If a player bites a Linesman who is attempting to break up an altercation, should the player be assessed a match penalty?
Yes. Rule Reference 601(g.1).
The penalty is the same regardless of whether or not injury results. It is assumed, however, that the length of suspension assessed to the player by the Proper Authorities

Helpful Links:

USA Hockey Rule Book

USA Hockey Casebook

Becoming an Ice Hockey Official

For most people the decision to become an Ice Hockey Official comes after one of three scenarios:

• a current or past player becomes an official
• a current or past coach becomes an official
• a fan of the NHL becomes an official

The above scenarios are not mutually exclusive. You can see where I came from here. From which scenario you come from matters little-great referees have come from each. A great official has many characteristics that contribute to their success such as: skating ability, rule knowledge, game management, positioning, communication skills, quick decision-making ability, and many others. Typically a current or former player will already have good skating abilities while he will need to work on skating like an official (different form, posture, and stopping). A coach may have more rule knowledge than a player or fan, but she may need to focus on her skating ability and positioning (different view-point than from the bench. Those on the bench see everything-right?). The NHL fan may have seen hundreds of games on the TV and developed a keen eye for the game, but USA Hockey rules and the NHL's rules differ in many ways.

If you have now decided you want to become a hockey referee-now what? You will need to become USA hockey certified (unless you will be officiating in another organization) and obtain the required officiating gear.

Obtaining USA Hockey Certification:
For a great starting point, take a look at the USA Hockey Officials Site. This site has great resources for all officials.

Registration Rules- You will need to:

• Complete the on-line registration and pay the fee
• Attend a seminar in your area
• Pass the required tests-depending upon the certification level there are open and closed book tests.

Certification Completed:
Once you have received your officials crest and USA Hockey referee card, you will need to contact your local association Scheduler. Many associations have websites where you can find the contact information for your scheduler. Get in touch with the scheduler and be persistent if needed. I have worked with several schedulers over my career and each has their own preferred scheduling system: some prefer a website, some prefer email, and others prefer a phone call.

Gear:
As stated in the USA hockey rulebook, an official needs:

• a black helmet
• black pants
• an officials jersey
• a whistle
• skates

Where to Purchase Gear? A beginning official is not required to have brand new and expensive gear. A pair of $15 black slacks will work just as good as $100+ CCM brand referee pants. The $100+ dollar pants can be bought after it's been decided that officiating is enjoyable and will be continued. Current officials can be a good source for used gear-especially jerseys. Play It Again Sports also may have used, and new, gear.

To buy new gear check your local ice rink pro shop and The Officials Wearhouse.