Interested in Refereeing - need to know
Things you should know about Refereeing
A few things you should know before proceeding
Referees are governed by Central Region and have nothing to do with SMHA or Hockey Calgary. You are in essence employed by Central Region – they are the ones who pay you and oversee your game assignments
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- Central Region home page (found on the Hockey Alberta website)
SMHA provides Central Region with a volunteer called a Community Assignor who is responsible for our U9 & U11 home games only. All other age groups U13 to U18 are assigned by administrators at Central Region.
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- referee@springbankhockey.com, Rosemary Parker, is SMHA’s community assignor for U9 & U11 home games
- Central Region assignors U13 to U18
Taking the referee clinic DOES NOT GUARANTEE you game assignments at SMHA
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- You will be required to inform/register with SMHA’s community assignor of your intent to take the clinic PRIOR to taking any clinics.
- see the registration button in the getting started section
- SMHA offers an in-house clinic every October to our returning referees and if you notify the community assignor you can gain access to this private clinic if you are a first-year.
- You will be required to inform/register with SMHA’s community assignor of your intent to take the clinic PRIOR to taking any clinics.
Referees who are assigned to the SMHA referee pool are done so by their home address area code and not necessarily by the association they play for.
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- SMHA’s community assignor only has access to arenas set by Central Region
- Joe Phillips
- Red Dutton
- Edge – Kyle Stuart Memorial
- If you set your arena preferences outside of the above arenas you need to notify those community assignors of your existence- keep in mind these assignors need to be responsible for their pool first.
- SMHA’s community assignor only has access to arenas set by Central Region
SMHA referees will only be assigned U9 and U11 home games, these games are limited and if our referee pool is too large then most of our referees only see one or two game assignments every two weeks.
Other things contributing to low or no assignments are:
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- Have you informed the SMHA community assignor of your intent to referee (see above #3)
- Are you setting your availability correctly?
- U9 & U11 games happen early in the mornings on weekends
- U11 weekday games start at 5:30 pm
- How reliable are you?
- U11 home tournaments are the best time to get in your assigned games - we run our U11 tournaments in October
- how many games have you turned down or not attended
- Who is in charge of your account?
- often a parent has set the availability against the referees’ knowledge and then the referee declines the assignment.
- SMHA assignor has a tracking system for games delined and penalties will arise if declines are habitual
Referees are financially responsible for training and equipment - SMHA does offer reimbursement please visit that section
Getting Started
Registering with SMHA
Taking a referee clinic DOES NOT GUARANTEE you game assignments at SMHA
You are required to register with SMHA’s community assignor PRIOR to taking any clinics - SMHA's referee pool might be full
This registration allows the SMHA assignor to build a contact database.
Failure to register with SMHA will result in NO game assignments
This registration is for internal SMHA use, you are NOT considered certified and eligible to referee until you have completed your training visit the "getting Certified" section
This registration tab opens from August to December of the current season.
All new and returning referees must fill out a registration.
Setting up your Hockey Registry Account (Spordal account)
All referees must have an HCR 3.0 (Spordle) account to register for the referee clinics.
If you are or have been a player then you have an account, the Hockey ID used by your parents at the time of your registration to minor hockey
Referees can choose to make their own HCR account or use their parent's account once their membership profile has been linked to their parent's HCR account.
Instructions on how to do this can be found in this document, HCR 3.0 Spordle Account - Create & Register for Clinic-Course.
Getting Certified
All officials must re-certify every season if they wish to officiate past December 15.
Clinic Types:
- U15 Level 1 (13 & 14 years old) - Full day with ice session [search under *Official - Level 1]
- these aged referees will only be ranked as level 1 due to their age and will only be assigned U9 & U11 games through Community assignors
- U19 Level 1-2 (15-18 years old) - Full day with no ice session [search under *Official - Level 1-2]
- these aged referees will be ranked as Level 1 and/or 2 due to their age and not necessarily years of service and will be assigned U13 and older games through Central Region
Questions about clinics can be sent to centralclinics@hockeyalberta.ca
NEW REFEREES
- Minimum of 13 years old.
- Must have access to their Hockey registry account (Spordal account) - see section above
- Clinics take place between September 15 and November 30 annually.
- Register for the "HU-Officiating 1/2" Clinic. You must complete the Hockey University Officiating online course prior to registering for an in-class clinic. The course takes approximately three hours to complete.
- Once you have completed the online course, register for an in-class clinic.
- View the instructions below for information on how to register for a clinic
- All clinics consist of classroom sessions and on-ice sessions. Bring your skates, helmet (with visor), and a Whistle to your on-ice session.
- IMPORTANT: Central Region will set up and email you with a log-in for the Goalline Referee Management System.
Clinic Registration
Be sure to select HOCKEY ALBERTA and HOCKEY CALGARY at the top by Find Your Clinic to narrow the search results.
- SMHA offers an in-house clinic(s) every October to our returning referees we co-host these clinics with TW & GL and it is on a first come first served - keep your registration up to date with the SMHA assignor and watch your email for the private link
- if you notify the SMHA assignor, prior to the in-house clinics, you can gain access as first-year.
IMPORTANT: Please register for a Calgary clinic - taking a clinic outside of Calgary can delay your certification and for new referees, can delay your referee profile setup
- Returning Referees: ensure your Goalline access is active.
- New Referees: Central Region will set up and email you with a log-in for the Goalline Referee Management System.
- Hockey Canada tutorial "How to Register to a Clinic"
Referee Equipment
Required Equipment:
- Black CSA-certified helmet
- CSA certified half visor
- Metal or black plastic whistle
- Black polished skates with white laces
- Hockey Canada Rule Book
- Clean official's black and white sweater with Hockey Alberta crest and Hockey Canada crest (with removable armbands only)
- Black, pressed pants
Optional Equipment:
- Elbow pads
- Athletic support and cup
- Measuring tape
- Shin Pads
*** Please note that a black Mesh Under Arm jersey is illegal
Where does the Hockey Alberta Crest go? - Left chest area over your heart
Where does the Hockey Canada Patch go? - Left shoulder
It is not recommended that you iron these on unless you get it done at a sports shop who have the correct equipment. Sewing is the best option. Crests are available at Tuxedo Sports.
Managing Assignments and getting Paid
Managing Assignments
All referees must maintain and regularly update their availability tab in their goalline account. This is the software that allows all assignors access to scheduling referees' games.
- It is the responsibility of the referee to have their game covered if they can not attend a game for either sickness or personal reasons.
- maintain a personal contact list of fellow referees with the same credentials as you - not all referees will be able to cover your assignment (lines vs head referee)
- Make sure to get approval for replacement (contacts below)
- contact the referee assignor who assigned the game to gain assistance if you can not find a replacement.
- maintain a personal contact list of fellow referees with the same credentials as you - not all referees will be able to cover your assignment (lines vs head referee)
IMPORTANT:
- Failure to maintain an open availability may result in low game assignments
- Know your target age group's game times and curfews so you can set your availability to match (see attached)
- Failure to accept assigned games or habitual declines may result in low game assignments
- Failure to notify and register with the SMHA assignor will result in NO game assignments
Assigning in Calgary happens in two ways:
Community Assigning - U9 & U11
Referees who are assigned to the SMHA referee pool are done so by their home address area code and not necessarily by the association they play for.
- SMHA’s community assignor only has access to arenas set by Central Region
- Joe Phillips
- Red Dutton
- Edge – Kyle Stuart Memorial
- If you set your arena preferences outside of the above arenas you need to notify those community assignors of your existence- keep in mind these assignors need to be responsible for their pool first.
SMHA referee assignor will only be assigning U9 and U11 home games, these games are limited and if our referee pool is too large then most of our referees only see one or two game assignments every two weeks.
Other things contributing to low or no assignments are:
- Have you informed the SMHA community assignor of your intent to referee (see registering with SMHA section)
- Are you setting your availability correctly?
- U9 & U11 games happen early in the mornings on weekends
- U11 weekday games start at 5:30 pm
- How reliable are you?
- U11 home tournaments are the best time to get in your assigned games - we run our U11 tournaments in October make yourself available
- how many games have you turned down or not attended
- Who is in charge of your account?
- often a parent has set the availability against the referees’ knowledge and then the referee declines the assignment.
- SMHA assignor has a tracking system for games delined and penalties will arise if declines are habitual
Central Region Assigning - U13 to U18
- If you wish to officiate higher levels of hockey in and around Calgary (starting at U13 hockey and working up), you will need to reach out to the Central Region assignors responsible for this hockey.
- This will require you to log into your Goaline account and update your availability to match that of these age groups
For more information regarding how referees are assigned, please review the Hockey Alberta Officials-Central Region webpage under "assigning"
Getting Paid
Referee Payments
For information regarding how referees are paid, please review the Hockey Alberta Officials-Central Region webpage under "assigning" and scroll to the bottom for the "getting paid" tab
If you have any questions about your payment please contact Central Region Treasurer: Don Roberts (Finance)
IMPORTANT: only exhibition games are paid in cash, it is the responsibility of the teams to pay the referee PRIOR to the start of the game.
Season Information and Resources
Rule Emphasis - Rule 9.2F - verbal taunts, insults, or intimidation based on discriminatory grounds
Community Referee Assignors
Community Referee Assignors assign games according to the arenas they are responsible for. If you receive a referee assignment at an arena that is not assigned by the SMHA Referee Assignor, you will need to reach out to the Community Referee Assignor responsible for that arena if you are unable to attend the assignment.
Central Region Referee Assignors
Girls hockey and U13 are assigned by Central Region. Please reach out to the applicable Central Region Assignor if you have any questions concerning those assignments received.
U9 Half-Ice Game Format
All U9 games (community and house league) are on half-ice. There are two Referees (one for each half-ice game). A Central Region Supervisor may be assigned to mentor new referees at these games.
Roles & Responsibilities for Officials for U9 Half-Ice Games (Jan 2019)
Reimbursement
Reimbursement submission deadline - March 31st
**NOTE: the Reimbursement program will be revised for the 2023/24 season
Springbank Minor Hockey Association will reimburse your level 1 clinic fees including the online portion after you referee 10 SMHA Community-assigned games during the year.
- If you took Level 1-2 you still qualified for reimbursement so long as you fit the above game-assigned criteria
- Extra supplies, like a rule book, case book, crests, armbands, referee-specific equipment, etc. WILL NOT be covered
- Both SMHA Treasurer and SMHA Referee Coordinator reserve the right to deny reimbursement.
- Any emails received after the submission deadline will be disqualified.
- Missed or past seasons will not be reimbursed
Please submit your receipts along with your name and mailing address to the SMHA referee coordinator by March 31st
All reimbursement requests must come through the SMHA referee coordinator, the coordinator will confirm
- 10 SMHA community-assigned games
- verify the receipts
- verify the mailing address
- submit the reimbursement to the SMHA Treasurer
All reimbursement cheques will be mailed out by the SMHA Treasurer in a one-time cheque run after the submission deadline - the aim is for May
Contact
32224A Springbank Road,
Calgary, Alberta T3Z 2L9