Hockey Ref Signals – What You Need to Know
Contents
Hockey referees use a variety of hand signals to communicate with players and coaches during a game. Here’s a quick guide to the most common signals you’ll see on the ice.
Introduction
As a hockey referee it is your responsibility to signal all penalties, stoppages of play and other important events during the game. Use of proper signals will help keep the game running smoothly and avoid confusion among players, coaches and officials. This guide will introduce you to the most common signals used by hockey referees
The Basic Signals
In hockey, the referee is responsible for enforcing the rules of the game and maintaining order on the ice. To do this, they use a variety of hand signals to communicate with players, coaches and officials.
Here are some of the most common signals used by referees:
Icing: When the puck is shot from behind the center red line across the opposing team’s goal line it is considered icing. The play is whistled dead and a face-off takes place in the offending team’s defensive zone.
Offside: An offensive player is offside if they enter the attacking zone ahead of the puck. If an offside player touches the puck, play is whistled dead and a face-off takes place in the offending team’s defensive zone.
Penalty Shot: A penalty shot is awarded when a goaltender commits a major infraction in their own crease (such as tripping or holding an opposing player). The penalized team’s goaltender must remain in their net while one player from the opposing team takes a shot on goal from Center Ice If successful, this results in an automatic goal. If unsuccessful, play continues normally.
The Face-Off Signals
Hockey referees use a variety of hand signals to communicate with players, coaches, and officials during a game. Some of the most important signals are those used to indicate a face-off.
There are three face-off signals that every hockey referee should know:
1. Stick Signal
The stick signal is used to indicate which player will take the face-off. The referee will point the stick at the player he or she wants to take the face-off.
2. Face-Off Violation Signal
The face-off violation signal is used to indicate when a player has committed a violation during a face-off. The referee will hold his or her hand in the air with the palm facing out and then make a sweeping motion from one side to the other.
3. Icing Signal
The icing signal is used to indicate when the puck has been fired down the length of the ice and has not been touched by any player before it crosses the goal line The referee will hold his or her hand in the air with the palm facing down and then make a sweeping motion from one side to the other.
The Penalty Signals
In hockey, there are a number of signals that referees will use to indicate infractions and other rulings. Many of these signals are unique to hockey, which can make them confusing for newcomers to the sport. However, understanding the signals is essential for being able to follow the game.
One of the most important groups of signals in hockey is the penalty signals These signals indicate when a player has committed an infraction that merits a penalty. There are a variety of different penalties in hockey, each with its own signal. Some of the most common penalty signals are described below.
Goal: The referee will wave both arms above their head to signal a goal.
Offside: The referee will raise one arm above their head and extend it out to the side to signal offside.
Icing: The referee will trace a line across the ice with their arm to signal icing.
Penalty Shot: The referee will point toward the center of the ice with one arm while making a fist with the other arm to signal a penalty shot.
These are just a few of the many different penalty signals used in hockey. Learning all of the signals can be daunting, but it is worth taking the time to do so if you want to be able to follow the game more easily.
The Goalie Signals
In hockey, much like other sports, the officials have their own sign language that they use to communicate with each other and with the players. This language is designed to be quick, effective, and universal so that everyone on the ice can understand what is happening and what is being called.
One of the most important signals in hockey is the goalie signal. This signal is given by the referee when the puck has crossed the goal line and a goal has been scored. It is also used to signal when a goalie has been pulled from the game. The goalie signal is given by holding both arms out straight in front of the body with the palms facing down.
The Linesman Signals
In hockey, the linesman is responsible for a few different things. They keep track of the puck, make sure players are legal, and signal when there are penalties or infractions. The linesman signals are important for both the players and the referees to know.
The most basic linesman signal is when they put their arm in the air. This signals that there is a stoppage in play. It could be because the puck is out of play, there was a penalty, or somebody got hurt. If the linesman keep their arm in the air for a long time, it usually means that there was an injury and somebody needs to come off the ice.
The next most common linesman signal is crossing their arms above their head. This signals that there is a face-off at that spot on the ice. The two teams will line up and try to win control of the puck when it’s dropped between them.
Linesman also use their arms to signal what kind of penalty it is when they call one. If they hold their arm out straight with their hand open, it’s a minor penalty This means that one player on the team who committed the infraction will have to go sit in the Penalty Box for two minutes while their team plays short-handed. A major penalty results in a five-minute Power play for the other team and usually an automatic ejection from the game for the player who committed it. For this kind of penalty, the linesman will hold out their arm with their fist clenched.
A game misconduct is given when a player does something really bad or dangerous and needs to be removed from the game immediately. For this, the linesman will hold out both arms straight with their fists clenched.
A match penalty results in an ejection from not just that game but also from their next game as well. It’s given when a player tries to hurt somebody on purpose or uses inappropriate language towards another player, referee, orlinesman. For this kind of penalty, the linesman will hold out both arms straight with their palms open facing up
The End of Period/Game Signals
In Ice Hockey the referee signals the end of a period/game with three short blasts of his whistle. This is also known as the “three whistle” signal.
The Miscellaneous Signals
While we have only just scratched the surface of all the possible signals a referee can make during a hockey game there are still a few more worth mentioning. These signals aren’t made as often, but they are important nonetheless.
The first signal is known as the “butt-ending” signal. This is when a player uses the top of his stick (the part where the blade meets the shaft) to jab or strike an opponent. This is obviously a very dangerous play and can seriously injure someone, so it results in an automatic five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.
The next signal is for “High Sticking ” This is when a player hits another player with his stick above their shoulders. If there is no blood, it will result in a two-minute minor penalty. If blood is drawn, however, it becomes a four-minute double minor penalty.
The “holding” signal is pretty self-explanatory and is used when one player grabs hold of another player with his hands or arms in order to slow him down or prevent him from getting away. This results in a two-minute minor penalty.
The “hooking” signal is used when one player uses his stick to hook or grab hold of another player in order to slow him down or prevent him from getting away. This also results in a two-minute minor penalty.
Lastly, the “tripping” signal is used when one player uses his stick or any other part of his body to trip another player. This also results in a two-minute minor penalty.
The Signals for Special Situations
Hockey is a sport with a lot of rules, and referees are responsible for enforcing those rules on the ice. A lot of times, players break the rules without even knowing it – that’s why it’s important for referees to have a system of signals to communicate with the players about what they’re doing wrong.
There are signals for penalties, for out-of-bounds play for face-offs, and even for when the puck is frozen. But in addition to all of those regular signals, there are also signals for special situations – like when a goal is scored, or when there’s a fight on the ice.
Here are some of the most important signals for special situations:
Goal Scored: The referee will put his arms up in the air and cross them at the wrist to signal that a goal has been scored.
Puck Frozen: The referee will point at the puck and then make a fist with his hand to signal that the puck is frozen and play has stopped.
Fight: The referee will skate over to where the fight is taking place and blow his whistle to signal that there is a fight on the ice.
Conclusion
Now that you know the basic hockey referee signals, you’ll be able to follow the game more closely and understand what’s going on. Hockey is a fast-paced and exciting sport, and knowing the referee signals will help you enjoy it even more.
