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In order to comply with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149, Sections 54 – 105, all officials must reach the age of 14 prior to being allowed to officiate USA Hockey games within the Massachusetts District.  In addition, all officials age 14 to 17 must submit the proper documentation to the league(s) they work for prior to being assigned any games. M.G.L. Chapter 149 also restricts officials age 14 to 17 on the number of hours they can work in a day and the times of day they are allowed to officiate.

[mass.gov]

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The Science and Art of Officiating
Sports officiating is both a science and an art. It is a science because officiating is based on a known body of skills and knowledge, such as playing rules, positioning, mechanics, and procedures, all of which are acquired by formal education and training programs. Officiating, however, is also an art because much of the officiating craft—perhaps even most of it involves nuances and subtleties in applying those skills that become unique to each official, much as individual painters or sculptors interpret the same subject differently, even though they may have had comparable training. In hockey officiating, as in the art world, the work of some individuals will be highly prized, while that of others will be ignored, or even scorned.

All too often, young officials spend too much of their time on the “science” of officiating, being able to recite arcane provisions of obscure playing rules while ignoring the “arts,” like judgement, discretion, and poise that enable them to apply the right rule at the right time under the right circumstances for the right reasons.

Of all the major team sports, hockey officiating is, by far, the most demanding. Hockey officials not only are required to apply complex rules in a consistent and acceptable manner but also must skate well enough to get to the proper position to make the right judgment, all the while dodging players, sticks, and flying pucks under the fire of intense athletic competition that invariably produces significant mental and emotional pressures. In addition, hockey officials probably have far more discretion in applying or not applying the rules depending on a host of circumstances.

As an official, you are charged with responsibility to manage each game within a prescribed set of rules. However, any game that is officiated literally “by the book” would soon become uninteresting to the spectators and frustrating to the players. A contest that is frequently and unnecessarily interrupted by the officials’ whistles leaves no one satisfied. The most accomplished and respected officials develop an instinct for each game, using their discretion to encourage sportsmanlike, competitive play while discouraging and penalizing unsportsmanlike, overly aggressive, or unfair conduct. In addition to “scientific” knowledge, these officials clearly have an artist’s touch.

Enter the Artist
The “art” of officiating essentially involves the ability of an official to “sell” his paintings (decisions) with little or no dialog on the part of participants. He or she sells each painting by presence, poise, and obvious command of the situation. The artist exhibits a certain savvy about each game. He or she can tell the difference between an intensely contested game and one with malicious overtones. He or she also has enough “rink smarts” to gauge the intent of the participants. Although called an official, the artist also recognizes that he or she was not hired to be officious, overbearing, authoritarian, or a tough guy. The artist enforces the rules tempered with reason. That is a good word to remember. The most respected officials, invariably, are reasonable people.

Players and coaches respond well to reasonable treatment. But it is not always easy to be reasonable. Under pressure, the scientific official falls back on invoking rules, making it immediately known that he or she knows the rules, and that’s that. The artist also knows the rules but is also concerned with emotions and tries to handle each situation in a manner that maintains respect on all sides. Although the artist knows that the official is the final authority, he or she is willing to explain decisions or interpretations when called for and “drops the hammer” only when absolutely necessary.

Why do you do it?
Hockey officiating isn’t easy. The most commonly asked question of officials at all levels is “Why do you do it?”

Perhaps money is the first motivator, especially for younger people who see officiating as an attractive alternative to flipping burgers after school. But experience has shown that the desire to be part of the game and to help maintain a level of physical conditioning are also important factors. Looking further, personality studies have found that, as a group, sports officials exhibit a higher degree of dominance characteristics than the general population. Officials like to be in charge. Once on center stage, they enjoy having to make split-second decisions under pressure. Additionally, they are strong-willed and goal-conscious.

These traits generally don’t give one a tendency to be humble. Humility is the opposite of arrogance. Yet, the artist is always able to inject a dash of humility into his or her personality. While the arrogant official will be more visible, the one with some humility will get more respect.

Refining Your “Brush Strokes”
Once you have mastered the “science” of officiating, you must develop the intangibles that separate one official from another. In other words, your “artist’s touch.”

Your acceptability will be based on how artistic a job you do. Common sense, sound judgement, and discretion are three fundamental intangibles that, together, form the basis of your artistry. Another important intangible is self-confidence. If you have confidence in your ability and the courage of your convictions, you will show pride in your work without being arrogant, become determined without being overbearing, and generally have a good feeling about yourself and your role as a hockey official.

When watching games as a spectator, don’t worry about judgement calls. Instead, pay attention to how the officials deal with the irritants that crop up in every game. Note how top-notch officials get their jobs done. They make the difficult seem easy and generally handle things in a way that makes everybody reasonable. They don’t get ruffled, become red in the face, or lose their tempers. In short, they give the impression that they’ve been there before.

To sum up, hockey officiating is not easy. It is a challenge that, with a little thought and a lot of hard work, can become an exciting and rewarding experience.

GOOD LUCK!

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The USA Hockey game incident reporting tool is a national system utilized to collect player and team official penalty information, forward referee incident reports to a team’s respective disciplinary authority, and inform disciplinary bodies of Rule 411 and Rule 615.f violations.

IMPORTANT NOTE: all reports will automatically be forwarded to local officiating administrators and local USA Hockey Affiliate representatives for the purpose disciplinary review. Please review all information (facts, spelling, etc.) before submitting the report.

If you have questions regarding a team’s USA Hockey Affiliate, please consult the Affiliate Directory of the USA Hockey Annual Guidebook.

TIPS:
PLAYER SEARCHES: When searching for a player’s USAH Confirmation Number, we suggest initially keeping the search as broad as possible (Last Name and State) and using the Hometown and Birth Year to identify the player. 

COACH SEARCHES: Some coaches coach multiple teams at multiple levels of the game, therefore we strongly recommend keeping initial searches broad (Last Name and State).

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The 2025-2029 Rule Changes take effect on August 1, 2025

For more information please see: https://www.usahockey.com/2025-29-usah-rule-changes

2025-2029 USA Hockey Officials Rules and Casebook of Ice Hockey: https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/4f1a-3442850/2025-29_USAH_Playing_Rules___Casebook.pdf

2025-29 USA Hockey Playing Rules – Points of Emphasis: https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/3236-3383329/USA_Hockey_Playing_Rules_POE_2025-29.docx

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Multiple changes from USA Hockey are coming for this season, plus it’s a rule change year.

Registration is currently scheduled to open on April 1, 2025*, and seminars *should* be happening not long after.

*Dates are subject to change, as we are still waiting for confirmation from USA Hockey.

By Posted on Posted in Announcements, News

PLEASE CHECK ALL SCORESHEETS BE IT PAPER OR ELECTRONIC – ANYTIME A MAJOR IS ASSESSED THERE MUST ALSO BE A GAME  MISCONDUCT LISTED ON A SEPARATE LINE ON THE SCORESHEET. ALSO, ANY MINOR PLUS MISCONDUCT ASSESSED THERE MUST BE TWO
SEPARATE LINES ON THE SCORESHEET. THESE COUNT TOWARDS THE PLAYERS FOUR PENALTIES AND THE TWELVE ASSESSED TO A TEAM.

YOU NEED TO PRINT YOUR NAME LEGIBLE AND SIGN THE SCORESHEET – USING A FALSE NAME CAN LEAD TO A SUSPENSION – ALSO USE YOUR OFFICIALS NUMBER ON THE IPAD.

WHAT NEEDS A GAME REPORT FILED IN THE USA SYSTEM

A Game Report must be filed by the on-ice officials whenever one of the following situations occurs: For multiple reports in a game, they can be all be entered in a single game report.

  • A player or team official is assessed a Match Penalty.
  • A Major Penalty is assessed to any player (every Major Penalty comes with a Game
  • Misconduct) and these are listed on the scoresheet as two separate line items.
  • Game Misconduct Penalty assessed to a team official.
  • A Game Misconduct Penalty is assessed as part of a larger on-ice or off-ice incident.
  • A second misconduct on a player in a game, this now becomes a Game misconduct.
  • Four penalties assessed to any player in a game is also assessed a Game misconduct.
  • Twelve penalties assessed to one team in a game. (A suspension report is entered against the Head Coach) – They are not removed during the game but suspended for their next game.
  • Any time a team gets three major penalties assessed to them in a game. (A suspension report is entered against the Head Coach) – They are not removed during the game but suspended for their next game.
  • Any time language that is hateful or discriminatory that is was not heard by you but it was reported to you.
  • Any incident occurs that involves spectators, especially when spectators are ejected from the arena.
  • Whenever a serious injury to a player, on-ice official, or team official occurs (i.e. an injured player is removed via stretcher).

TIMELINE TO FILE A GAME REPORT

A game report must be filed within 24 hours for all Match Penalties at the completion of the game in which the reportable incident took place with a phone call or email to the RIC must happen. For all other game reports, they must be filed within 48 hours. If it is possible for the on-ice officials to gather all of the facts and complete the report sooner, that would be greatly appreciated.

WHAT INFORMATION TO INCLUDE IN A GAME REPORT

  • Complete all of the fields in the USA Hockey On-line Incident Report with the information you have available.
  • In the “Incident Description” area, please provide a brief summary of what occurred in very specific and factual language. We need “just the facts,” not a history of all the problems that have occurred involving this player, team, arena, etc.

HOW TO USE THE GAME REPORTING TOOL FROM USA HOCKEY

Game Reports must be filed using USA Hockey’s Game Reporting Tool
USA Hockey provided Game Reporting Tool instructions, which include:

  • Logging into the system
  • Submitting Game Report Information
  • General Game Information
  • Game Details
  • Players and Coaches involved in the incident
  • Proper rule reference
  • Incident Description
  • Incident Location
  • Saving and Submitting the Game Report
  • This information is contained in the document called Game Report Instructions in PDF form.

TIPS

  • The game scoresheet (paper version or what is entered into an electronic scorekeeping system) often contains a great deal of information required to complete a Game Report. Be sure to get a copy of the scoresheet before you leave the arena.
  • TAKE PICTURES OF THE SCORESHEET BE IT PAPER OR ELECTRONIC
  • ELECTRONIC MAKE SURE TO ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND CHECK THE BOX TO HAVE IT SENT TO YOU.
  • Ask your partner official(s) and any USA Hockey officiating supervisor or fellow official who observed the incident for any assistance that they can provide.
  • Call or email your assignor to let him/her know that you will be submitting a Game Report about this game. Ask your assignor if you have questions regarding completion

**If you are having problems finding a coach or player please contact us for support**

By Posted on Posted in Announcements

Interested in becoming a USA Hockey certified official? We’d love for you to join the hardest working team on the ice! Below are the top 6 most common questions we receive each year from prospective individuals.

Is there a minimum age an individual must be to become certified as an official?

In order to comply with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149, Sections 54 – 105, all officials must reach the age of 14 prior to being allowed to officiate USA Hockey games within the Massachusetts District

What expenses will I incur getting started?

The USA Hockey registration fee for Level 1 officials is $55.00 (plus the affiliate fee $15.00 for 24/25). Officials registration is separate from players/coaches so make sure you can attend a seminar before registering. Consider the fact the official will need a black helmet (no team logos) with half visor, sweater, referee pants, whistle(s), etc. Just like with players and coaches, registration must be completed every year to be eligible to continue officiating games.

How much of a time commitment will I need to put in?

From what we’ve experienced over the years, this is the factor that is the most overlooked by either new officials or their guardians. In addition to the registration requirements, USA Hockey expects all referees to stay current with all playing rules, policies, and local procedures. Parents of underaged officials who do not possess a driver’s license, need to be aware that their son or daughter will need to be timely transported to and from all necessary USA Hockey registration requirements and future game assignments.

What can I expect in my first year?

Ideally, brand new level 1 referees will begin officiating cross ice games to make them feel as comfortable and supported as possible. We’ve found these low pressure opportunities to be one of the best at developing confidence and long term success. It is extremely important to let you assignor know that you are a new a official so that they can schedule you appropriately with an experienced official at an appropriate level. Progression to higher level assignments takes place differently from one referee to another. While this is stated at all of our seminars, we feel like realistic expectations cannot be stressed enough. Keep in mind that many opportunities and games for new officials occur on the weekends, during the hockey season, when that official may be playing in contests of their own. Practice, tournaments, various sport activities, family obligations, vacations, schoolwork, and personal duties are just some of the constraints underaged officials face. Availability plays a huge part in the short and long term success, along with how fun this activity is for the official. If he or she is uninterested, overloaded, or simply not enjoying being a referee, the experience will likely not be positive.

What does the scheduling process look like? How do I get paid?

Massachusetts has numerous assignors, all whom are listed on our website. A majority of the assignors have their specific method of assigning games. Once you receive your crest and card, reach out to the assignor(s) that you would like to work for and they will explain their specific process. The payment process is also unique to the specific assignor. Much of the assigning process is done on a personal level, and all officials must advocate for themselves.

Finally, the officials who receive the most game assignments are those who have become a “low maintenance official.” These are the officials who are available to work when and where the most games are being played. They have the knowledge, experience, and skill (both mental and physical) to create a fair, fun, and safe environment on the ice. The low maintenance official is not ego driven or feels that they are entitled to games just because they completed registration, work a certain league, or attained a high certification level. They give their best effort in all assignments. These officials are also willing to work at all levels and give back to the new generation of referee’s that enter each season.

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Submission of USA Hockey Officiating Membership applications for the 2024-25 Season begins on June 3, 2024 and ends after October 31, 2024.

All 2024-25 Officiating Memberships must be completed by December 31, 2024. No referee cards and sweater crests will be issued after this date.

USA Hockey Officiating Membership is valid for the entire current season in any district or state in the United States, and membership within any local officials association or local hockey league is not required for USA Hockey Officiating Program membership.

Officials will only need to register online, attend an online virtual seminar and complete the required background check and SafeSport training, if it is age required. Officials will not need to complete a separate rules exam or modules as part of the process for the 2024-25 season.

Once the online Membership Registration application has been submitted, an official cannot change the registration level they have applied for.

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Officials Registered for 22/23: 2,094 (12% increase of 21/22, the most officials registered in 30 years)
Officials Completed Requirements (able to work games) for 22/23: 1,862
Percent of 22/23 Registered Officials Complete: 89.2% (Best in the country!)
Percent of 22/23 Officials that attended a seminar complete: 96.6%

As of Oct 13, 2023

Officials Registered for 23/24: 1,677
23/24 Officials having completed a seminar: 1,209
23/24 Officials Complete: 630
Total officials available (have met requirements for 22/23 and/or 23/24): 2,092

Officials Registered for 21/22: 1866
Average age of officials in 21/22: 31 (oldest = 75)
Number of officials in 21/22 18 or under: 678
Number of officials in 21/22 50 or older: 458
Average age of officials in 21/22: 31 (oldest = 75)
Brand New Officials in 21/22: 631

Officials Registered in 22/23: 2094
Average age of officials in 22/23: 30 (oldest = 76)
Number of officials in 22/23 18 or under: 860
Number of officials in 22/23 50 or older: 489
Average age of officials in 22/23: 30 (oldest = 76)
Brand New Officials: 745

Of the 1,866 Registered for 21/22, number of officials that did not return for 22/23: 729 (39%)
Number 1 reason for not returning: Lack of Opportunity
Number 2 reason for not returning: Abuse

Players Registered in 22/23: 45,946 (down 2% from 21/22)
Players Registered in 14/15 (the most players in 30 years): 49,691
Officials Registered in 14/15: 1,618

8 Year Net Loss of 3,745 players
8 Year Net Gain of 470 officials
30 Year Net Gain of 20,045 players
30 Year Net Gain of 1,007 officials

Officials Seminars

Level 1 – USAHockey proposed a significant overhaul of the level 1 curriculum for the 23/24 season. Due to numerous issues, they were not able to deliver that content, and as a consequence they did not notify the affiliates until mid August. As soon as we were made aware, we immediately pivoted our plans to undertake a the significant task of securing ice and classroom space for our level 1 officials. Were we later this season than we usually are, absolutely; but we’re working hard to catch up!

Level 2/3/4 are 100% virtual seminars this season, most of which have been on week nights, and there have been literally hundreds of opportunities across the country for officials to attend a seminar. Additionally, we are hosting seminars as registration warrants.

Why is there a shortage? And how do we fix the problem?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple solution or just one thing. All parties (The officials, the assigners, the affiliate, the leagues and the programs) need to work to solve the multitude of problems that exist. It’s a three-legged stool, it won’t work without all three legs.

By Posted on Posted in Announcements

All seminars are available on the USA Hockey Website – https://usahockey.com/officialseminars

Please note that you MUST be registered with USA Hockey PRIOR to registering for a seminar (https://membership.usahockey.com/)

ALL SEMINARS are all virtual , and you can attend a seminar in ANY district. Find a date that works for you, and signup. Please note Time Zone differences!

See https://usahockey.com/officialseminars for dates and times of seminars across the country

By Posted on Posted in Announcements

The 2021-25 USA Hockey Playing Rule change process was concluded on June 12, 2021 during the Board of Directors Meeting at Annual Congress. You will find a summary of all accepted rule changes below, in addition to updates to the USA Hockey Points of Emphasis and Standard of Play, and an explanation of the new Standardization of Discipline regarding Match Penalties.

The 2021-25 USA Hockey Playing Rules will take effect starting September 1, 2021.

2021-25 Playing Rule Change Summary

2021-25 Playing Rules Points of Emphasis and Standard of Play

2021-25 Standardization of Discipline with Match Penalties