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Courses Remaining in 2025-2026
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December 7: Intro to Two-Official System
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January 7: Intro to Lining in the Three-Official System Virtual Course
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January 10: Intro to Reffing in the Three-Official System Virtual Course
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January 14: Three-Official Observation Game
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January 15: Intro to Game Management
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January TBD: Two-Official Observation Game
You are working the Two-Official System and you are inside the blue line of your end zone while play is in the neutral zone. The play continues toward your partner’s end zone. Describe your movements up the ice.
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a. Stay at the blue line until all the players from previously attacking team have passed you.
b. Move up the ice as fast as possible to cover the far blue line.
c. Stay at your current blue line until there is a shot on goal.
These questions and videos are shared with permission by #thehockeyrefbook.
You can find more information about either book on thehockeyrefbook.com.
Answer: A.
Skill Question of the Week from How To Referee Hockey: The Quiz Book
Training Video of the Month
Impact Penalty Video of the Month
Learning From Each Other...
-Situation-Error-Question-
I was mentoring a referee who was below the goal line 90% of the time. I told them that he needed to use home base, half-piston, and at-the-net most of the time rather than below-the-goal line. However, I was not able to explain why. So, what are the reasons that official should stay above the goal line most of the time?
-What we Learned-
Two reasons. First, sight lines. When an official is below the goal line with the puck on their side of the ice they are force to pivot towards the near boards to see the play. Hence they cannot easily see the slot or the far side of the ice. If they were at home base with the puck on their side of the ice (as they should be) then they can see more of the ice.
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Second reason is related to space. There is less space to move when the official is below the goal line. They are also further from home base than if they were at half-piston. With less space to move and being further from home base, they are more likely to get in the way.
What to do instead? Officials are encouraged to temporarily go below the goal line to get out of the way or get a better view of a goal mouth scramble. However, they should get back to the piston system as soon as practical.
Some officials may also suggest they go below the goal line because the net blocks their view of the far corner. Rather than going below the goal line, they can consider moving towards the face-off dot on their side of the ice to change their sight line of play in the far corner. This adjustment keeps them closer to the piston system so they can return to the piston system easily.
Do you have a situation or error you witnessed to add to Learning from Eachother? Email a description to info@wpgrefs.com to have the error featured in this section