Want To Become a Referee?

2014-15 Registration begins August 1, 2014.

To completely register with USA Hockey as an official you need to complete five steps each year (go to Registration Tips for more information):

1.    USA Hockey Membership Registration:  Go to USAHockey.com. At the homepage you will click on “Register Online” and register as an Ice Official. This is where you will provide us with your personal information for our database and pay your annual membership fee. 

Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation email within 24-hours and a copy of the USA Hockey Playing Rules & Casebook (new officials and Rule Change Seasons only) within a week along with some additional information to help you along with the registration process.

You will also receive an email giving you information (including your USAH Officiating Number) relating to completing your online “Open Book Exam”.

2.    SafeSport Training (if 18+ years old): All officials who are 18 years-of-age or older must complete the United States Olympic Committee SafeSport training program. This online-based program trains coaches, officials, and key volunteers in detecting and preventing detrimental behavior (hazing, abuse, etc.) off the playing surface. Once completed, the training certification is good for two years before recertification is required. This training must be completed in addition to your USA Hockey Local Affiliate Background Checks.

3.    Online Education: Once registered with USA Hockey, you will receive instructions regarding the online Officiating Education module program. These modules are a mixture of required and elective topics that teach fundamental skills of officiating using video examples, animation, and knowledge-based testing. You must complete your required hours of training to receive your card and crest.

4.    Open Book Exam: Go to the “Open Book Exam” page at the Officials section of USAHockey.com and follow the steps to begin your online exam. The exam is designed to allow you to go at your own pace. You may answer all questions at once, or answer ten questions every day until it is completed. Please review all answers before submitting it to the National Office. The exam will be accessible 24-hours after online registration, and we strongly encourage you to wait until you receive your Rulebook and attend your seminar (see below) before attempting to take the test.

5.    In-Class Seminar: All USA Hockey Officials must attend a USA Hockey Officiating Seminar annually. To find one in your area, go to the “Seminars” page at the Officials section of USAHockey.com. You will need a USAHockey.com website profile to access the seminar schedule. Either sign-in to USAHockey.com or to create an online profile:

a)    Click the “Referee Login” link under the OFFICIALS tab, or at the main Seminars page.

b)    Select “Need to create a login profile?”, and follow the instructions and enter the required data-fields to set-up your profile.

Note: This process does not register you as a member with USA Hockey. You will pay no registration fee and your membership information will not be affected.

Note 2: In order for your USA Hockey.com profile to extract accurate information from the Officiating Program membership database, your online profile….

•    First Name
•    Last Name
•    Date-of-Birth
must match your Membership Registration information exactly. If you registered with USA Hockey as Michael, you must create your online profile with the exact same name (not Mike).

c)    After your profile is created and saved, you will automatically be directed to the USAH Online Registration System. You are now ready to sign up for a seminar.

Most seminars are scheduled between late August and early December (the schedules begin to appear online starting in July), and any questions about the seminars should be directed to your USA Hockey District Staff (following the links at the main Directory under Officials Materials). We strongly recommend you make sure you can attend a seminar before you begin the registration process (the fee is non-refundable), and do not wait long to register since some seminars do fill up very quickly.

Once you complete these three steps, and the USA Hockey National Office receives your Registration Fee, Open Book Exam answers, and Seminar Attendance confirmation, you will receive your USA Hockey Officiating Card and Sweater Crest and you are ready to work games. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, I would be glad to help you through the process.