Referee FAQ
What do I have to do to become an official for the LMHF?
There are several steps associated with becoming a referee.
- You must contact the local Referee-In-Chief.- Chris Sowinski (cbsworld@videotron.ca)
- You must decide where and when you are going to obtain your certification. The Referee In Chief is the only person who can sign you up for the clinic. You will be required to pay a fee for the clinic. These clinics are usually held in September and October.
- Once you have completed your certification, you must contact the Referee In Chief again so that he knows that you have successfully completed your course.
- Look around for the proper officiating gear. You might contact existing officials in your area to obtain some quality second hand equipment.
- You will be required to attend two on-ice sessions in September. The purpose of these ice sessions is to practice some of the positioning and procedures that were taught in the classroombefore your first game.
- The assignor will contact you to offer you your first set of games.
How many games will I get in LMHF? Will I recoup my clinic fees?
Most new officials will work 30-40 games this season. Combined, our referees will officiate about 1000 games in total per season. You will likely recoup your start-up costs; one-day course and your equipment plus make a bit of money.
How old do I have to be?
We generally only allow those 14 and over to officiate.
What equipment do I need?
You’ll only need to purchase or borrow some of the basic equipment: a jersey, black pants, a black helmet with half-visor, and a whistle. You'll be given cresting for the jerseys.
However, a couple of things to keep in mind:
- Hockey Canada does not permit its officials to wear the NHL-style jerseys, with black mesh under the armpits.
- Your helmet must be black, and you do need a half-visor. It is difficult to blow a whistle when you wear a full cage!
- It is strongly recommended that officials use a steel ACME Thunderer whistle instead of a plastic whistle. The pitch is deeper for hockey, and the whistle works better in the cold. Use a bit of tape on the tip so that it doesn’t freeze to your lips on a cold day.
How do I get assigned games?
Games are assigned by telephone or by e-mail, and usually occur on Saturdays and Sundays, although they can be at any time on evenings or weekends. You always have the opportunity to turn them down and we do accommodate your own hockey schedules. We are pretty flexible in this way.
How do I get paid?
We'll have quarterly meetings starting in October which last about an hour to go over rule emphases and administrative issues. Officials are not paid for meetings, but are expected to be in attendance.Paycheques are passed out at these meetings. We try to make them helpful and informative without getting too boring.
How do I sign up or get more information?
Chris Sowinski
Referee-In-Chief
Lakeshore Minor Hockey Federation
514-951-4106
cbsworld@videotron.ca