Proposal: How to fix the officiating

[bobbyorr04]

No anti-Bruins conspiracy theory

No pro-Habs conspiracy theory

Just solid honest to goodness proposals for a solution that has plagued not just the NHL but hockey around the world from the IIHF to the AHL to the CHL

My ideas are simple

http://ohlwriters.com/articles/how-do-you-fix-the-officiating-problem

Yours?

Thanks for sharing your article Dom.


Some areas I’d like to see improvement in NHL officiating…

-Drastically reduce the BOTCHED and MAKE-UP penalty calls.

-Be unbiased, and look at BOTH teams for infractions...don't make favorable calls for the home team, just because it's the home team.

-Call the game by the book, and be 100% sure it's an obvious penalty and not a dive before lifting your arm.

-Try to call the LEAST amount of penalties in a game as possible, and let the players PLAY!

-Don't go looking for any close call just to make a call. It might turn out to be a great play by the defender, who now sits in the box for 2 minutes.

-Get tough on dives and embellishment.


I would love to see the NHL clamp down on all these dives like they did with hooking a few years ago, even if it takes suspensions to accomplish this.

It all comes down to the Refs doing their job properly, and being more accountable.


P.S. I like your idea regarding “officiating teams†working together more consistently.

 

[OrrCam]

No anti-Bruins conspiracy theory

No pro-Habs conspiracy theory

Just solid honest to goodness proposals for a solution that has plagued not just the NHL but hockey around the world from the IIHF to the AHL to the CHL

My ideas are simple

http://ohlwriters.com/articles/how-do-you-fix-the-officiating-problem

Yours?

Great article Dom. And a great question too. Clearly officiating is now an "out of control" problem.


Not sure how it would look if it existed, but where's the accountability for doing your job? Does it exist at all? Sorry I forgot. They're the best in the world? Yep let's go with that theory. They seem to get slapped on the back no matter how lousy they perform. I dont really think they care very much about getting it right....so back to accountability.

Short of cataract surgery "en mass"
There is no fix in the absence of a 'challenge' to demonstrate to them graphically how incompetent their performance has become.

 

[ReggieMoto]

I'm still a fan of off-ice officiating in support of on-ice officiating. The off-ice officials would be in a much better position to see what ice-level officials miss given the speed of the game. This alone would eliminate a lot of missed calls on dives/embellishment.

 

[TCDaniels]

Great article Dom. And a great question too. Clearly officiating is now an "out of control" problem.


Not sure how it would look if it existed, but where's the accountability for doing your job? Does it exist at all? Sorry I forgot. They're the best in the world? Yep let's go with that theory. They seem to get slapped on the back no matter how lousy they perform. I dont really think they care very much about getting it right....so back to accountability.

Short of cataract surgery "en mass"
There is no fix in the absence of a 'challenge' to demonstrate to them graphically how incompetent their performance has become.

I think this is certainly a key...speaking out against the quality of officiating is beyond tabboo... It's downright outlawed. Players / Coaches / Front Officers are fined and/or suspended if they **GASP** question the officiating - EVEN WHEN THEY'RE CORRECT IN THEIR CRITICISM!

There is CLEARLY no accountability. If I failed at my job like they do, I'd get both fired and, most likely, sued.

That is a REAL problem.

 

[BMC]

I am definitely in favor of keeping officiating teams together- I think familiarity with each other would help improve call consistency which I think the #1 problem with NHL officiating and has been for years.

I don't like video review/challenges in other sports so I won't support it in hockey either. Yes calls get blown but so do plays, they're both part of the game.

And yes crack down hard on diving & embellishment even if you do not make a call on what caused the player to take a dive. This is hockey not soccer.

 

[sarge88]

Although it will never happen, I'd like to see the referees be held accountable in public. Maybe quarterly or twice per season, the NHL could make their "grades" available online.

Players, coaches and GM's are publicly "graded" all the time. We follow players stats, TOI, contract negotiations, etc. Coaches wins and losses are easily available, same with GM's. Plus we always know when they are fired, traded, demoted or released.

Rarely does this happen with officials and IMO it should be public record.

 

[KrazyLegs]

Not surprised that diving is seen as such a major problem here on the B's board (I agree, by the way). I'm sure on the Habs' board, trying to keep rough play in check is seen as a major problem.

It's funny that way.

 

[Lobster57]

One ref. I hate when the ref right there lets something go and the guy 90 feet away makes the call.

 

[TCL40]

I like the idea of an officiating team (it might make for easier ref scheduling as well).

I would build into each team a floating ref who is there to fill in if a ref has to be out due to illness or some other issue.

I think players would respond well to this. Much like in baseball umps vary in strike zone and pitchers/catchers learn which umps have big zones or call low one strikes the NHL players would soon pick up on which team calls things tight or loose or tend to call stick infractions but let interference go.

IMO on of my frustrations as a fan is the inconsistency-I know what interference is supposed to be but I see it let go all the time. If it frustrates me then it has to frustrate players even more.

I also think with a team accountability will be easier-it will soon be clear which teams consistently blow calls and which ones don't.

 

[BRUINS since 1995]

No anti-Bruins conspiracy theory

No pro-Habs conspiracy theory

Just solid honest to goodness proposals for a solution that has plagued not just the NHL but hockey around the world from the IIHF to the AHL to the CHL

My ideas are simple

http://ohlwriters.com/articles/how-do-you-fix-the-officiating-problem

Yours?

-----

Good post.

I think it's logical to say that people used to work together will be more efficient with time. I like that idea.

More video on call around the crease, net should be overlook. There is so much collapse with huge player that on the ice calls might be difficult. I would also favour challenge by coaches 1 or 2 per game.

For the rest, I might say this. Sport played by human, brings human intangibles... and I like the fact that referee's also can bring that human imperfect side... sometimes on your side, sometimes not really!

 

[MillerTime 86]

How to fix the officiating?

Ask the Habs … The officiating has been fixed in the Bell Centre for decades.

 

[What The Puck]

What I would like to see
- The "I meant to blow the play dead" rule is removed from the books

I see the suggested often, but this isn't going to happen. In the case where shenanigans are going on inside the crease and the puck rolls in, there may not be an opportunity.

 

[GloveSave1]

I would be for Toronto having the ability when they're on the phone to just say, "hey, you totally blew that call. Real bad. Yes. You were so wrong. Here's what happened. Now take the head-set off and make it right."

Not throwing refs under the bus. "He kicked it in. No goal." That's it. Just Toronto bring able to squash totally FUBAR calls that the current crew of refs in the building can't bring themselves to do.

The rest of it is just better training. I'd be all for refs learning how to better call flops into the boards. Players get away with murder putting on a show around the boards. Watch the force of the hitter, not the in some cases, jump, fall, and slide into the boards. Just stop getting jobbed. Talk about something that looks bad on you.

The rest is just pipe dreams. Make up calls, whatnot, it's just hockey. It's no NBA. Just try to get better at calling the first one. Call less. But make it real.

I don't think the refs have it out for the Bruins, it's systemic, by and large. Only Rooney does. And that's criminal and bush league. But simple, he's from the area and is parnoid about being labeled a Boston boy, and always feels the need to hammer the Bruins to show he isn't pro Boston. As if that isn't crystal. He is bias, anti-Boston, and that is clear to anyone with an open-mind who watches the games.

 

[GloveSave1]

Delete

 

[TCL40]

Oh I would like the distinct kicking motion to apply only if the skate leaves the ice.

Seems the motivation for the kicking motion rule is goalie safety but I see nothing unfair about a player turning their skate to score a goal-no less unfair than a puck deflecting off other stuff.

But you keep the safety element in place by not letting the skate leave the ice without having Toronto come back with some inconsistent calls in just what is or isn't a distinct kicking motion.

I am okay with the human element when it comes to things like hooks, slashes and trips.

I am not so okay when a player is high sticked and requires multiple stitches or gets their nose broken with no call (if somebody is bleeding and clearly injured I think reviewing the play makes sense).

And I think anything involving a goal should be reviewable-including goal tender interference.

 

[TCL40]

Oh and get rid of the delay of game penalty when the puck goes over the glass. Either make it ref discretion or my preference apply the icing rules. Team that sends ignored the glass can't change their players out and has a defensive zone face off.

 

[nycpunk1]

Oh and get rid of the delay of game penalty when the puck goes over the glass. Either make it ref discretion or my preference apply the icing rules. Team that sends ignored the glass can't change their players out and has a defensive zone face off.

How many high sticks are intentional? I'd say close to 0%. But if they didn't call unintentional ones, you'd see a lot more injuries, because guys would take more chances. Same number of intentional high sticks (close to zero), but a LOT more unintentional ones.

The same applies to delay of game. Removing this rule would probably result in a bunch of whistles as defenders try to fling the puck out any way they can. Less control demanded by the rules = more pucks flying out of the rink and stopping play. No one does this on purpose anymore, so putting this at the ref's discretion would effectively remove the penalty entirely. Except of course when they randomly apply it and the fans go MENTAL.

Replacing the penalty with icing rules doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either. A stoppage of play and a faceoff, even in their own end, is exactly what the defense is looking for.

You don't want to get called for delay of game? Hit the glass or try to break out on the ice. Simple, elegant, and requires zero mind-reading.

 

[5Minutes4Fighting]

No anti-Bruins conspiracy theory

No pro-Habs conspiracy theory

Just solid honest to goodness proposals for a solution that has plagued not just the NHL but hockey around the world from the IIHF to the AHL to the CHL

My ideas are simple

http://ohlwriters.com/articles/how-do-you-fix-the-officiating-problem

Yours?

I hate challenge systems in ALL sports. Replay is supposed to get the calls right. Pro Sports make millions of dollars in profits....spend it on additional replay officials who are part of the officiating crew. Fix anything blatant. Let the stuff that's not clear go.

Coaches/Managers should not have to decide whether or not to use replay for fear of not being able to fix something later. It's not about strategy...it's about getting the calls right.

 

[TCL40]

How many high sticks are intentional? I'd say close to 0%. But if they didn't call unintentional ones, you'd see a lot more injuries, because guys would take more chances. Same number of intentional high sticks (close to zero), but a LOT more unintentional ones.

The same applies to delay of game. Removing this rule would probably result in a bunch of whistles as defenders try to fling the puck out any way they can. Less control demanded by the rules = more pucks flying out of the rink and stopping play. No one does this on purpose anymore, so putting this at the ref's discretion would effectively remove the penalty entirely. Except of course when they randomly apply it and the fans go MENTAL.

Replacing the penalty with icing rules doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either. A stoppage of play and a faceoff, even in their own end, is exactly what the defense is looking for.

You don't want to get called for delay of game? Hit the glass or try to break out on the ice. Simple, elegant, and requires zero mind-reading.

High sticks are a safety issue-an automatic penalty makes sense and the refs miss these a lot anyway (just ask Dougie and his stitches).

I don't particularly see the defense all the sudden sending pucks over the glass intentionally with a rule change but I am sick of seeing teams awarded with 5 on 3s for a penalty that doesn't involve safety.

If you are worried about a rash of players sending the puck over the glass on purpose use the icing rules and if a ref thinks it was intentional let them assess a penalty.

But I am not a fan of the puck over the glass as an automatic penalty.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Less camera angles

No more HD

No internet

I mean honestly, with the game being as fast paced as it is, there are going to be missed calls. There always have been and always will be. The difference is now with instant media, clarity of hi def, social media to discuss, etc. the magnifyng glass is just more prominent.

This.

People have always complained about refereeing, said its a problem etc. But now we have social media and modern technology to aid us nobodies in constantly making it some huge, overarching, exaggerated, game-breaking problem. It's a topic that anyone can write on and instantly get attention, because a certain sect of fans from every team truly loves the fact that they can feel more adequate than a professional referee through video.

I won't lie. I ***** during games about calls fairly regularly. But I am so sick of seeing media member after media member, blogger after blogger start a debate about the "refereeing in today's game" and how, as usual, "it's worse this year than ever before".

The idea that people are going as far (as another poster did earlier in this thread) to suggest a rival team like the Habs remains competitive because referees don't hold them accountable for their diving is ridiculous. I'm not saying the Canadiens don't dive, but I'm not enough of a blind, hoo-rah fan to pretend they're not a talented, professional team that scores legitimate goals.

All in all, biased fans trying to present unbiased opinions on people who's main goal is to objective almost always amounts to pointless bickering an exposure of fan bias somehow leaking to anger over the refs.

One more thing. A big part of the "reffing problem" is the skewed viewpoint of fans that says after a shaky call against their team "that was a ****** call". This is followed by a good call in favor of the opposing team where "that's a bad call too because we got screwed earlier." It gets to a point where people stop even allowing referees to make good calls that they approve of.

 

[unifiedtheory]

1.) Every goal is reviewable. The do it in the NFL, and it does not slow the game down that much. In most instances it will take seconds.

2.) Any goal directed in with a skate is a good goal BUT, the skate MUST remain on the ice. You can't have guys kicking at pucks, it's too ****ing dangerous. In fact, I'd bring in a policy where if the review shows your skate left the ice to kick the puck it's "no goal" AND your team is issued a 2:00 penalty. That will be a cut and dry rule and keep players blades on the ice.

3.) Change the "delay of game" rule. I know as it stands now it is non-subjectiuve but I think in some instances it is too punitive. Why not make it a 1:00 penalty?

4.) Stop calling the penalty AND the dive. You can have one of the other, not both.

5.) On diving, I'd create a diving "list". Not like the one they have now. We have guys in NHL control watching every moment of every game. Have a "diving" watcher. Every instance of diving or embellishment that is seen by the "watcher" is noted and reviewed by a panel, whether there was a penalty called or not. If it is judged to be a "dive" then the player gets a strike. There is no appeal, the ruling by the "panel" is final.

After the players third "diving" judgement, he is suspended for one game. The third "dive" involves an appeal because there is a suspension. Each subsequent "dive" judgement increases the suspension:

1st offence: 1 game
2nd offence: 3 games
3rd offence: 5 games

Etc.

These DO NOT fully reset after a season or a playoffs end. You get one "dive" struck from your record each season (regular season and playoffs) but only one. I know it's harsh but it needs to be removed from the game.

6.) Have the officials accountable. Too often is there a "bad call" and the officials are allowed to walk out the back door and not have to answer for it. Have the officials grades released publicly, so we know how the NHL is grading these guys and who is good and who is bad. Force officials to improve how they do their job.

7.) Get rid of the "broken stick" slashing penalty. A slash should be a stick on body foul, not a stick on stick foul. Slashing down on a players stick should be perfectly acceptable, calling the penalty ONLY when the stick is broken or the stick is knocked out of a players hands is FAR too subjective.

8.) Bring in a coach's challenge system. Each coach gets 2 challenges per game. If you get the challenge wrong, your team is issued a 2:00 penalty. This will keep "mis-use" of the challenge system in check.

9.) The "intended to blow the whistle" rule is horse ****. Players play until they hear a whistle, the play is live until the whistle is blown. Why make **** up as you go along?

 

[RaybCamn]

There should be a ref in the stands that can overturn and review. Let Toronto oversee the goals and to check them. The ref in the stands will only be able to do certain things.

Diving should review the play and overturn it if needed and give the penalty to the team that dived, they should also show the dive on the huge screen so everyone can see. Maybe it will stop players from diving I would be embarrassed if it were me.

Last year I think Lucic got thrown out of a game vs Vancouver I am sure you all remember it, it was a blown call that should have never happened. It should be reversable.

Dead in the head call is pretty dumb.

1 Challenge per game the ref in the stands can review.

The refs in the stands could change lots of things just make a better game. I dont think they should overturn regular calls though.

 

[VanIsle]

How about calling penalties that happen and not calling ones that do not happen.

For example, Dougie Hamilton gets slashed in the face and no call, he is opened up huge and the play continues.

Krug makes a good hockey play in OT in the same game and gets called for nothing.

The Leafs then go on to win the game, are the refs really this blind?

Take the far ref and put him upstairs so the game is called correctly for blatant calls that should definitely be called

As stated let the guys play, and don't make calls for the sake of making them.

Human error will always be in the NHL as long as humans are reffing NHL games, so bad calls, missed calls will always happen as referees are human and we make mistakes from time to time, good teams deal with it.

 

[dredeye]

I'll add one thing I really think needs to change is when a diving penalty is called the other team almost always gets the embellished penalty called against them as well. So there's no real need for a team to stop faking the dive because worst case scenario more often then not is a 4 on 4. Diving needs to just be called as it's own penalty without punishing the other team at the same time.

 

[habfaninvictoria]

1/ Coaches challenge 1 per period.

2/ Referee review board for refs who habitually make questionable calls

3/ Immediate delay of game penalty for actions between whistles. Take 1 from each team the 1st time. Then take the obvious aggressor each successive infraction.

4/ Immediate bench minors for abuse of officials when whining about calls

5/ 10 minute misconduct for retaliation on clean hits.

6/ Punish the action, not the result.