Frequently Asked Questions for New Officials

 

How do I become an official?

  • You must be 12 years old as of Dec 31 of the current season.
  • Email Refassignor@vmha.com to indicate interest. You will be contacted with details of the program.
  • A new official is required to complete an online module, namely Hockey University Officiating 1/ 2, and an in person on ice clinic hosted by VMHA in the fall. Registration links will be sent out to your registered email with the Ref Assignor when they become available.
  • Officials who will be older than 18 as of December 31 of the current calendar year must complete a Criminal Record Check (CRC). Please see Criminal Record Checks for details on how to submit your CRC.

 

What kind of equipment does a new official need?

  • Hockey Officials jersey
  • CSA certified BLACK helmet with CSA certified visor (no shield or cage)
  • Hockey skates (no goalie /figure skates)
  • Whistle (Acme Thunder is preferred)
  • Solid black pants (no jeans allowed)
  • Solid WHITE laces preferred, but white laces with little black lines are OK too (NO COLOR laces)

 

Where do I sew my Hockey Canada and BC official patches?

  • Once you’ve completed the on-ice portion of the new officials program, you’ll be given 2 patches and they need to be sewn on your Officials jersey. The BC official patch is to be sewn on the LEFT CHEST area while the Hockey Canada patch is to be sewn on the LEFT upper arm area.

 

Once certified as a new official, when will I need to re-certify to continue officiating?

  • Officiating season is different from the hockey season, which normally runs from September to March. Officiation certification is renewed annually and usually takes place between August to end of December and it is valid until December 31 of the following year.

 

As a new official, what games am I eligible to officiate?

  • Typically, a new official starts with officiating U8-U9 games and occasionally being a linesman for U11C games. As U8/U9 games do not begin until November and December, new officials will not get their first officiating game until then. A new official will start with Level 1 and Grade 1 in Referee and Linesman Rating.
  • For more details on rating, please visit PCAHA Referee Grading Levels

 

How is my status recorded?

  • Every official is now required to register a Hi-Sport App account. You will need your Hockey Canada Registry (HCR) ID to register. If you do not know your HCR ID, you can email registrar@vmha.com.  Please make sure your profile is correct. You’ll be able to see your games, your certification expiry and your referee/linesman rating all in your profile.
  • Hi Sport App also allow officials to submit availability and request for games.

 

How do I request a review or assessment of my officiating performance, and perhaps advance my ratings so I can officiate a higher level game?

  • You’ll need to fill out the VMHA Officials Supervision Request  to indicate interest
  • RIC will be in contact with you when a supervisor becomes available to supervise your game. You’ll be assessed based on your overall attitude and engagement, on top of your officiating skills.

 

 

For more information on Hockey Canada’s NEW officiating pathway, please visit Hockey Canada Officiating Pathway