‘Game management’ at the root of NHL’s officiating issues

[TKB]

Honest question: has anyone here actually reffed a hockey game? You'd be surprised how fast things happen.

For what it's worth, "game management" is actually a topic that's taught in the officiating levels (at least here in Canada). You can't possibly call everything. Calls need to be made on plays where an impact to the game is clear... Ie causing a turnover, costing a scoring chance, or something blatantly obvious.

The saying I remember from my level 3 clinic regarding game management (calling everything vs "letting them play") is "calling a good hockey game is like holding a bird in your hands... Do it to tightly and you kill it, and if you do it too loosely it will get away in you". That said, consistency is the key for all refs on a game by game basis. What is a call in the first is a call in the third. If you let it go once, you have to let it go every time.

For everyone complaining about it... I suggest you grab a whistle and go try to do a game - even if it's men's league or kids. It will change your view on this.

Thank you!

All the people bitching about "game management" have no idea what is going on the ice out there and they would be the first people crying at the results if they get what they wish for.

A perfect analogy is what they teach us conducting faceoffs when lining. You're not looking for a perfect faceoff you're looking for a FAIR faceoff. The concept applies to refereeing. You can't see everything, and you can't call everything you do see. That's where game management and communication come into play.

Thie video provides some great insight:

 

[The Macho King]

Honest question: has anyone here actually reffed a hockey game? You'd be surprised how fast things happen.

For what it's worth, "game management" is actually a topic that's taught in the officiating levels (at least here in Canada). You can't possibly call everything. Calls need to be made on plays where an impact to the game is clear... Ie causing a turnover, costing a scoring chance, or something blatantly obvious.

The saying I remember form my level 3 clinic regarding game management (calling everything vs "letting them play") is "calling a good hockey game is like holding a bird in your hands... Do it to tightly and you kill it, and if you do it too loosely it will get away in you". That said, consistency is the key for all refs on a game by game basis. What is a call in the first is a call in the third. If you let it go once, you have to let it go every time.

For everyone complaining about it... I suggest you grab a whistle and go try to do a game - even if it's men's league or kids. It will change your view on this.

This feels like one of those things where you are just restating the problem in a gentle way.

This isn't helping - it's just further evidence that the problem is endemic throughout the sport.

 

[StreetHawk]

Yup, see this all the time when watching games. Especially if one team takes a couple penalties in a row, you just know that a call on the other team is coming. Just a matter of time before the refs start evening things up.

Depends on how legit those calls are. A clear hi-stick and a boarding call, there's no reason for a make up call as those are controllable actions by the player which are black and white.

It's the hooking, interference, and holding calls that are more subjective.

But, you have to watch the game rather than look at the PP chances to know whether a 5-1 PP advantage is legit. Hear plenty of complaining from teams and fans when the PP chances differ by more than 3 a game.

 

[North Cole]

Great post.

When people (referee defenders/sycophants) say "we can't hire better refs, these are the best out there," this is wrong because these refs are hired and judged on their ability to manage or control the game, not to call it accurately.

This confuses me, sounds like you agree we can't hire better refs then.

These are the best refs out there, if they are judged and hired based on managing the game, then its not their fault they manage the game.... If they don't manage the game, they will be judged poorly and then demoted. The next ref in line will have the same framework to deal with, ergo its not a reffing problem, its an expectations issue.

If the executive you report to says to you - "no raises for anyone this year", then your employees that work the hardest and provide the most benefit to company will be rightfully mad they dont get raises and are lumped into the category with the employees who don't really care and float at work. They'll blame you for not giving them raises, but if you go elsewhere and they get a new boss, will they suddenly get a raise? No. So the problem is not you, it's upstairs. This is the same shit with the refs.

If the refs have to keep the game close and managed to keep their jobs, wtf does anyone expect them to do? Call penalties 10-0 and throw themselves under the bus? Getting new refs doesn't fix this.

The NHL had no issues overhauling reffing expectations to rid us of the DPE tactics in 2005. The fact that game management exists and has existed for many many years, should tell you the NHL actively promotes their refs to do this. If the NHL wanted it gone, they would make it gone. They don't, so this is the reffing we get. Blaming refs is dumb.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Thank you!

All the people bitching about "game management" have no idea what is going on the ice out there and they would be the first people crying at the results if they get what they wish for.

A perfect analogy is what they teach us conducting faceoffs when lining. Your not looking for a perfect faceoff your looking for a FAIR faceoff. The concept applies to refereeing. You can't see everything, and you can't call everything you do see. That's where game management and communication come into play.

Thie video provides some great insight:

Love that they happened to shoot that during a fairly heated game.

Vids like that really dispel the myth that we're watching a closely managed battle between a bunch of intellectual tacticians. The vast majority of a hockey game just is a bunch of guys reacting to chaos, and dropping random f-bombs. The refs are out there trying to see a decent fraction of what's going on, without getting run over or hit by the puck.

 

[Vukotal Recall]

The NHL is a oligopolistic cartel. Losing teams, and teams that base their appeal upon "tough' play, will never accept fair calls, since it diminishes their profitability. Decade after decade after decade have proven that this, sadly, will never change.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Do yourself a favor, turn on centre ice and scroll to the games where a team is up 3-0 or even 2-0. Write down how much time passes that a penalty is called for the team that's leading, especially past the half way point of the game.

Its gotta be around a 5 minutes average in most cases. Now watch what happens when a team goes up say 4-0. If they benefited from the powerplay and scored 2 out of their 4 goals on the pp, they will never get another call the whole game most likely. The losing team suddenly is the most disciplined team ever despite the fact they have to scratch and claw to fight back, the winning team suddenly forgets how to play hockey and every hook and hold is suddenly called within the rules. The team chasing the game is usually the most tired and taking liberties, but they are allowed to more often. No team up big ever gets a call, and if they do, watch the refs even it almost immediately on a nothing call. This would sound illogical except it happens so often you can predict it every time then its no longer a conspiracy.

Its very easy to predict, just say to yourself, oh look my team is up by a few, how many minutes till we get a penalty. Grab a stop watch and have some fun.

 

[Lacaar]

I don't think it's any secret that the NHL has an imposed rubber band effect on the refs.
Just like going to play one of those old racing games at the arcade. down a lap? you're car is magically faster... down 2 laps and you're driving a rocket ship etc.

One thing I do believe is that the game is too fast for the referee's now. They couldn't call a fair game if they wanted to imo.

The game won't be officiated fairly ever.. or even come close to not without refs in the stands/video.

 

[Anglesmith]

The worst part is that when the stakes get higher, this problem gets exacerbated. We decide the most important games with the least reliable officiating.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

I don't think it's any secret that the NHL has an imposed rubber band effect on the refs.
Just like going to play one of those old racing games at the arcade. down a lap? you're car is magically faster... down 2 laps and you're driving a rocket ship etc.

One thing I do believe is that the game is too fast for the referee's now. They couldn't call a fair game if they wanted to imo.

The game won't be officiated fairly ever.. or even come close to not without refs in the stands/video.

The refs are the blue shell, my man you figured it out.

Everyone hates the blue shell! That thing ruined friendships.

 

[IceNeophyte]

But without game management the league would lose its fake parity.

I think this is absolutely true. Better teams draw more infractions and commit fewer. You see it all over the place, fans of inferior teams decrying "cheating refs" when the fact is their opponent simply played cleaner hockey. These kinds of teams are rewarded and kept in games by calls that are made not because there was a worthy infraction, but to balance the officiating. And their fans cry for even more.

 

[FlameChampion]

What are peoples thoughts on NHL reffing vs International (Tournament) reffing? Which do you think is better?

 

[tailgunner]

this has been going on since the beginning of the NHL
Rod Gilbert pointed it out in an interview a couple of years ago

In the 74 series against the Flyers, Rod states that the games were managed officially even though the Flyers committed every hack and cross-check possible knowing full well that the refs were just going to
manage the game and keep the penalties even no matter what took place on the ice, that's just one example

the post 3 posts of this , written by "paperbagofglory" is spot on 100% accurate

 

[tailgunner]

Do yourself a favor, turn on centre ice and scroll to the games where a team is up 3-0 or even 2-0. Write down how much time passes that a penalty is called for the team that's leading, especially past the half way point of the game.

Its gotta be around a 5 minutes average in most cases. Now watch what happens when a team goes up say 4-0. If they benefited from the powerplay and scored 2 out of their 4 goals on the pp, they will never get another call the whole game most likely. The losing team suddenly is the most disciplined team ever despite the fact they have to scratch and claw to fight back, the winning team suddenly forgets how to play hockey and every hook and hold is suddenly called within the rules. The team chasing the game is usually the most tired and taking liberties, but they are allowed to more often. No team up big ever gets a call, and if they do, watch the refs even it almost immediately on a nothing call. This would sound illogical except it happens so often you can predict it every time then its no longer a conspiracy.

Its very easy to predict, just say to yourself, oh look my team is up by a few, how many minutes till we get a penalty. Grab a stop watch and have some fun.

this is the most honest and true thing ever written on HFBoards period !!!

 

[Paperbagofglory]

this is the most honest and true thing ever written on HFBoards period !!!

When you watch the game for over 30 years and the same shit is happening again and again you can figure out pretty quickly the patterns that the league follows. Thankfully there are smarter people than me making algorithms and programs that can detect all this crap with actual software.

The analytics that the league has adopted is used be the same fans to call them on their bullshit.

 

[OrangePMD]

this has been going on since the beginning of the NHL
Rod Gilbert pointed it out in an interview a couple of years ago

Not just the NHL. It's the same everywhere hockey is played. Always has been, always will be.

 

[JianYang]

Yup, see this all the time when watching games. Especially if one team takes a couple penalties in a row, you just know that a call on the other team is coming. Just a matter of time before the refs start evening things up.

I would also say that this problem extends beyond the nhl and is prevalent in most major team sports.

 

[soothsayer]

Nothing says impartiality like calling a player a "f***ing c### s#####." Blows my mind how some of these refs talk to players. Clowns with huge egos, those ones. I'd say the NHL should start by implementing an institutional reminder to refs of why they are there.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I think this is absolutely true. Better teams draw more infractions and commit fewer. You see it all over the place, fans of inferior teams decrying "cheating refs" when the fact is their opponent simply played cleaner hockey. These kinds of teams are rewarded and kept in games by calls that are made not because there was a worthy infraction, but to balance the officiating. And their fans cry for even more.

It's important for the economics of the game. You can build a team that can generates a round or two of playoff home revenue (often the difference between a profitable season or not for small market teams) without needing to sign any big names, just fill your team up with cheap clutch and grab grinders + a decent goalie and stall games to a 2-1 OT loss.

If games were called fairly, you wouldn't have a prayer of making the playoffs unless you had a superstar or two on an ELC and were willing to spend 10mil + big signing bonuses on keeping your superstar RFAs or signing big name UFAs.

 

[golfortennis]

Do yourself a favor, turn on centre ice and scroll to the games where a team is up 3-0 or even 2-0. Write down how much time passes that a penalty is called for the team that's leading, especially past the half way point of the game.

Its gotta be around a 5 minutes average in most cases. Now watch what happens when a team goes up say 4-0. If they benefited from the powerplay and scored 2 out of their 4 goals on the pp, they will never get another call the whole game most likely. The losing team suddenly is the most disciplined team ever despite the fact they have to scratch and claw to fight back, the winning team suddenly forgets how to play hockey and every hook and hold is suddenly called within the rules. The team chasing the game is usually the most tired and taking liberties, but they are allowed to more often. No team up big ever gets a call, and if they do, watch the refs even it almost immediately on a nothing call. This would sound illogical except it happens so often you can predict it every time then its no longer a conspiracy.

Its very easy to predict, just say to yourself, oh look my team is up by a few, how many minutes till we get a penalty. Grab a stop watch and have some fun.

People think I am kidding when I say that if you are killing a penalty, you may get 2 minutes for a decapitation. While it is humor, it's far closer to truth than not. You can do just about anything if you are shorthanded.

I have a friend who is trying to get into hockey. I've had him watch a few teams, and have a few others still to go, to see different styles. I will have to explain this whole thing to him as well.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Nothing says impartiality like calling a player a "f***ing c### s#####." Blows my mind how some of these refs talk to players. Clowns with huge egos, those ones. I'd say the NHL should start by implementing an institutional reminder to refs of why they are there.

LMAO yep, that's a one way street there.....you'd probably bitch and scream if the ref gave them a 2 instead of telling back at them as well, so either way.....

 

[NyQuil]

Agreed. Game management is terrible. If one team makes 12 infractions and another 1, call them like that to reflect what's actually going on. Don't call them equally, or with only a 1 penalty differential.

People say this, but then cried foul during the early days of the obstruction crackdown where you saw some pretty lopsided powerplay results.

Ultimately, game management is there for the same reason why 3 point games are here.

It keeps the league more competitive which makes the owners happy.

Good teams draw penalties and because of their skill level score powerplay goals which makes the scores even more lopsided and so on.

 

[Lacaar]

The refs are the blue shell, my man you figured it out.

Everyone hates the blue shell! That thing ruined friendships.

Darn tootin! I always thought it was a side effect of drinking.
The more beers in me the faster my car got.. especially after you put some good speed dents in it

 

[NyQuil]

Thie video provides some great insight:

This really is great.

 

[North Cole]

The refs are the blue shell, my man you figured it out.

Everyone hates the blue shell! That thing ruined friendships.

The refs are the chain chomp.