| How old do I have to be to officiate hockey in the CSHL? |
| The minimum age to officiate hockey in the CSHL is 14. While there are no age restrictions according to USA Hockey, it is highly desired for perspective officials to wait until they are the age of 14. Although it is technically possible to start officiating at age 12, you cannot be paid for officiating games until you are age 14, according to Ohio child labor laws. |
| How do I get started? |
| The first thing you need to do is register with USA Hockey as a level 1 official. You can do this online by going to http://www.usahockeyregistration.com. Registration for the upcoming season will not be open until August 1st, so you will need to wait until then. Upon completing the registration process, you will be sent a packet containing a rule book and an open book exam.
The second thing you need to do is attend a local USA Hockey Officiating Seminar. At the seminar, you will receive both on-ice and classroom instruction for your particular level of officiating. USA Hockey Officiating Seminars usually start around September of each year and there are 3-4 in our area. To find a seminar log onto http://www.midamref.org and click on the seminar link, you will be able to register for your seminar there. Seminars run approximately 7-8 hours, so plan on being there all day. You will need to bring pencil, paper, rule book, open book exam, wind suit, black helmet, hockey skates (no goalie or figure skates), and a fingertip whistle. As a first year official you are not required to have your full officiating uniform yet, but if you do you should bring it along and plan to wear it during the on-ice session. At the seminar you will learn about the rest of the registration process and what you need to do in order to become fully registered and start receiving game assignments.
The on-ice session starts with a group warm-up, then you are split into groups according to your level. First year officials stay together and learn basic on-ice positioning, calling offside and icing procedures, calling penalties, and other on-ice skills.
The classroom instruction covers topics such as how to register with USA Hockey, how to wear the officiating uniform, judgment, procedures, and different situations. First year officials will complete the first 50 questions of the open book exam together, which will help you in becoming registered with USA Hockey. Most seminars provide lunch, however when you register for the seminar it will indicate if lunch is provided and what the cost is. |
| What do I need to get started? |
| Upon completion of your seminar you will need to be completely registered with USA Hockey as a level 1 official, including receiving your officiating card and crest. This includes sending in your open book exam. You must have a complete USA Hockey officiating uniform, which includes a black helmet, a hockey referee jersey (without armbands), hockey skates (no goalie or figure skates), black referee pants, elbow pads, knee pads, and a fingertip whistle. All equipment should be in good working order, look clean, and be free of any decals or team identifications. You can purchase your equipment at http://www.officialswearhouse.com as they have an agreement with USA Hockey and provide everything you need at an affordable price. |
| What will it cost to get started? |
| There is a minor startup cost to get into officiating, which generally is between $50.00 - $150.00, depending upon your equipment situation. Registration with USA Hockey costs around $30.00, but this changes each year, make sure you register for level 1. Seminars generally cost between $10.00-$20.00, depending if the seminar provides lunch which most do. The first $10.00 of the seminar cost goes to USA Hockey Mid-American District, to pay for district fees such as sending officials to the national tournament and different training courses. If you are over 18 there may also be a background investigation fee, usually around $30.00. There may also be an assigner fee in your area, in order for you to get game assignments, this can vary between $5.00 - $75.00. The remainder of the cost is based on how much equipment you need to purchase and where you get it from. |
| How do I get game assignments? |
| When you attend the seminar you will be instructed on how to receive game assignments. Game assignments are managed through a website called The Arbiter. In order to be given game assignments you must be registered in the Arbiter, which is done by contacting the local assigner. You will be given information on how to become registered in The Arbiter at the seminar. The Arbiter allows you to manage your availability, schedule, and other aspects of officiating. You will receive game assignments as well as other information from the local assigner via The Arbiter, so it is a necessary requirement.
The more you are available the more game assignments you will receive. The more often you check your schedule for updates will also increase your chance for more game assignments. |
| How many games will I receive and what levels can I officiate? |
| Game assignments are based on a number of factors. The first factor involved is availability. The more you are available the more game assignments you will receive. If you play youth or high school hockey you need to set time aside to officiate. Never accept a game assignment that you cannot honor, as the local assigner has to work hard to fill games and this causes him extra work. Always stay on the good side of the assigner by staying available, working hard, training, and accepting every assignment given to you. The local assigner is experienced in determining who can do what levels, so trust their judgment when they say that you are not ready for the next level or if they decide to move you up quicker than you think you ready for. Other factors such as experience, potential, attitude, and skills all factor into the game assignment process.
As a new official you will be scheduled at the lower levels (mite, squirt) and also be assigned with veteran partners. Please rely on your partner's experience and ask them for honest evaluations of your performance and what you can do to improve. Your progress as a new official will be monitored by the assigner/supervisor, and you will be moved up as quickly as possible. |
| Are there meetings or an association involved? |
| In addition to the officiating seminar that you must take each year you wish to officiate, we have several meetings throughout the year. You will be required to attend at least one meeting but it is strongly encouraged that you attend all of the meetings, therefore maximizing your exposure to the officiating community and receiving the knowledge you require to improve your skills. At this time the CSHL does not have an official association, so there are no dues involved, but will still gather as a group of officials. |
| How much money can I make? |
| Officiating hockey can be fairly lucrative. However, it is all based on your availability, willingness to train and study, and take all game assignments given to you. The first year you will be lucky to break even based on the cost to get started, but don't let that deter you from coming back the following year. The more experience and skills you have the more game assignments you will receive. |
| Can I become a professional hockey official? |
| This is difficult to answer, however it is a possibility. The USA Hockey Officiating Program is designed to identify the best officials in each district and provide the best training possible to achieve this goal. There are many officials who have made it into the NHL by starting out in USA Hockey, but it takes a long time and dedication. You should set small, attainable goals, such as working high school hockey, junior hockey, college hockey, and then minor professional. There are many camps that you may be identified by you supervisors to attend, which can put you on the road to this goal. |
| What else can I do to improve my skills? |
| There are a number of things you can do to improve your skills. There are many training manuals available from USA Hockey on their website http://www.usahockey.com/officials. The best publication is the situation manual. There are also several message boards on the internet that deal with sharing information between officials. The Mid-American District has their own message board at http://www.midamref.org/Community-Forums.do and the most popular is http://www.hockeyrefs.com, which is a world wide message board for officials around the world. There are many training videos available from USA Hockey as well, ask your local supervisor for a copy of one.
In addition to studying material such as books and videos, one of the best ways to improve your skills is to watch other veteran officials work games. Go to local midget, bantam, pee wee, squirt, and mite games to get a flavor for what officiating each level is like. Also, attend high-school hockey games as the best officials in the area officiate those games. Since we have a professional team in the area, the Cleveland Baron's, attend a game or two during the year and watch the professional officials work in the 3-official system.
Attend officiating camps and schools, which focus on advanced officiating skills, including power skating. There are several power skating instructors in our area and nothing can take the place of an official who skates well. This should be a skill that you are always willing to improve on.
Ask your supervisor to perform an evaluation. This will give you immediate feedback on your skills and outline the areas for improvement. Evaluations are also given to USA Hockey so they can identify the best potential officials in the area and select them for advanced training camps.
Stay in the best physical and mental shape as you can. The better shape you are in the faster you will improve. You will not have a chance to get into an officiating camp if you are not in peak physical shape, so put together a daily regiment of a proper diet, cardiovascular training, and weight training.
The more you put into your training the quicker you will move up the ladder towards your goals. |
| For more information on how to become an official, please send an email to the following address. Please be sure to include your full name, age, address, phone numbers, email address, age, and hockey experience (both playing and officiating).
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