Your "I Hate the Ref" Moments

[nullterm]

If a player comes out a head hunts another out of the blue for no or whatever random reason, then the ref couldn't have prevented that.

But if two teams start chippy and it keeps escalating then the ref can take steps to prevent (although not 100%) it from getting out of hand. Bench warnings to let everyone know to smarten up or else, or just plain ejecting the bad apples to let the guys who are there to play do so.

Refs can control the tone of the game, I've seen it done many times. I've also seen some refs who can't or don't know how and things can go sideways. After playing long enough, you figure out what to expect from different refs.

 

[13 others]

Gatherings like this, where people get together to do nothing but hate on officials, is why officiating suffers at the amateur levels in every sport. Who the **** wants to do the job when they know the attitude towards them is seemingly automatic?

If you guys don't like the officiating you get in your leagues, get certified and start doing it yourself. See how YOU do.

I did but I was competent and actually gave a crap about what I was doing. I did fine without many complaints by coaches.

Its the refs with huge ego's and the morons who piss me off as a player. This old ref in Bantam had to be the center of attention. He would always make phantom calls to rile up the players and coaches. He was also extremely rude. It's almost like he craved the attention and hate. You deliver a clean check? Elbowing. Question a call? Unsportmanlike conduct. I once got a penalty when I skated by a player and he fell over so of coarse i got a tripping penalty. I dont exactly rmember but I think there was over 150 PIMS called that game.

They are like this in rare cases and some truly make mistakes. I'm sure we've all had plenty of good refs but they never stick out in our mind. We only remember the bad.

 

[Jarick]

Had to share this,

Sunday night's game, we're playing a team that's 0-12 or something. They're running into our guys and playing cheap all night. Halfway through, we take a roughing penalty for a hit along the boards (not much of a hit because we're not high level), but then the ref calls us for a trip on the next shift when two guys go down in the corner, then we get called 10 seconds later for another rough as two more players fall down, then 15 seconds later I get called for a trip as a guy skates backwards into me and falls over. So we had four guys in the box and a 5-on-3 for four minutes or something.

The scorekeeper said the refs were going to call us every time we touched one of their guys until we took a timeout, which we did, and both our captains talked to them.

Sweet revenge though, they score only one goal the whole time to bring it to 3-2, then we just run up the score on them and walk away 8-2. Loved it.

Side note, after roughly 80+ games, I finally hit double digits on PIM's

 

[Moses Doughty]

So the referee calling a major instead of a minor would have taken away the concussion? Do our red armbands have some magical power that prevents an injury if we penalize the action appropriately?

In your situation, because of the injury, you can say that you should have had a 5-minute powerplay instead of a 2-minute powerplay, but you cannot say that the injury is the referee's fault.

I had a situation in a Bantam AAA game last year, where a player was checked into the boards from behind and was injured. Ambulance ride and everything. I gave the player who hit him a Match Penalty. That gets you kicked out of the game and a guaranteed suspension. As the player was being treated, his mother came to our side of the rink at the timekeeper's box and bashed on the glass yelling god knows what. I ignored it. After the game, AND after I showered, she was waiting for me in the hallway. I cut her off after a few words and said, "I know you're upset because your kid is in the hospital, but did I hit your son? You embarrassed me on the ice and you are making a scene right here because I did my job." She staggered herself back into reality and apologized. I cannot prevent injuries with penalties.

I've also had a lot of games where one team is playing dirty (sometimes both teams are playing dirty) and dangerous, and no amount of penalties I call can do anything about it. The suggestion that a referee loses control if he doesn't call enough penalties is a myth more often than not.

I don't understand the mentality that so many players, coaches and parents have that the players (and coaches in minor hockey) are less responsible for their own actions than the referee. It doesn't make any sense.

So pretty much your telling me in my situation it wasn't the refs fault. Do you really believe if the refs had called the checking from behind, boarding, goalie interference penalties upwards of 15 times that they would do ot again. Heck, they would've stopped at 3 of those penalties if the refs had a brain and called obvious calls for anyone who knows hockey. If you really believe calling penalties won't help prevent injuries your isane.

And at the same rink a couple days ago I have 2 other stories. We are playing a Arizona team and my goalie partners helmet is knocked off. Everyone knows, the refs looking straight at him and were all yelling to whistle it. He doesn't for 5 seconds until they are right about to shoot.

And in a game I played my temmate shoves a guy onto me. Yea I know it's not goalie interference but the guy doesn't get off of me(purposely) as the pucks moving around behind the net and they have it at the side. He gets up as they pass it to the slot and I hurry up to my feet but they score. I'm complaining to the ref that he shouldve whitsled in the crease on them he says my temmate shoved him on me so no call. I know that so I say that the guy just laid down on me and that's why there shouldve been a call. He just skates away.

Lesson learned-Arizona refs need to learn hockey.

 

[Gino 14]

And in a game I played my temmate shoves a guy onto me. Yea I know it's not goalie interference but the guy doesn't get off of me(purposely) as the pucks moving around behind the net and they have it at the side. He gets up as they pass it to the slot and I hurry up to my feet but they score. I'm complaining to the ref that he shouldve whitsled in the crease on them he says my temmate shoved him on me so no call. I know that so I say that the guy just laid down on me and that's why there shouldve been a call. He just skates away.

Lesson learned-Arizona refs need to learn hockey.

And because it's not interference, it's not in the crease either. Ref - 1, you - 0.
It's more than obvious that so many of these plays are so much easier to blame on the ref than to admit fault by yourself or one of your own. Did you ask your team mate why he was a bonehead for dumping the guy on you? Nope, blame the ref instead.

 

[sjmay*]

So pretty much your telling me in my situation it wasn't the refs fault. Do you really believe if the refs had called the checking from behind, boarding, goalie interference penalties upwards of 15 times that they would do ot again. Heck, they would've stopped at 3 of those penalties if the refs had a brain and called obvious calls for anyone who knows hockey. If you really believe calling penalties won't help prevent injuries your isane.

And at the same rink a couple days ago I have 2 other stories. We are playing a Arizona team and my goalie partners helmet is knocked off. Everyone knows, the refs looking straight at him and were all yelling to whistle it. He doesn't for 5 seconds until they are right about to shoot.

And in a game I played my temmate shoves a guy onto me. Yea I know it's not goalie interference but the guy doesn't get off of me(purposely) as the pucks moving around behind the net and they have it at the side. He gets up as they pass it to the slot and I hurry up to my feet but they score. I'm complaining to the ref that he shouldve whitsled in the crease on them he says my temmate shoved him on me so no call. I know that so I say that the guy just laid down on me and that's why there shouldve been a call. He just skates away.

Lesson learned-Arizona refs need to learn hockey.

Yes, I completely believe that an official can prevent SOME injuries, but if you think that a team is going to stop checking from behind or cross checking because they have had it called 3 times, you are beyond delusional bud,

I can call a team for 10 cross checks, does that mean the 11th one won't happen, or that I just know it's gonna happen eventually?

Why isn't the player or team that commits the fouls on the hook for ANY of the penalties they commit? Do you really think they are going to stop because of a 2 minute penalty?

As far as your stories, I love it, you KNOW it's not goalie interference, yet you still blame the ref, amazing, and pretty much proves Stripes point.

Congrats.

BTW, you said you played an Arizona team, and judging by your name, you probably play out of Cali, where in Cali do you play can I ask?

 

[The Perfect Paradox]

I played in a rec roller hockey league about 5 years ago when I was 15. I was playing RW, and the puck came up to the point man I was covering in my zone. The puck gets jammed up against the boards and another opposing players comes up to try to help his defensemen. In the process, his stick gets underneath my skates, and I trip and fall. When I hit the ground, my left glove fell off. So out of instinct, I took my right hand that had the glove on it and just hit the puck out of the zone.

I look up at the ref when I get my glove, and I see his arm up for a delayed penalty. We were in the 3rd and it was a tie game with about 10 minutes left, and I was pretty positive the other team's player got a penalty for tripping me. The play stops, the ref points to me and tells me to get into the box. I asked him what the penalty was, and he tells me delay of game. My coach at the time, starts screaming for an explanation, not understanding the situation either. Turns out it was a "safety rule", and since one of my gloves fell off, I wasn't allowed to play the puck until I had both back on. Still confused to this day about that call, especially why it was called a delay of game.

 

[Jarick]

Our league ejects players with 3 minors in a game. Usually at the start of the year you see a bunch of guys getting tossed in the first couple games and they either get booted from the league or tone it down. Works really well.

 

[Moses Doughty]

And because it's not interference, it's not in the crease either. Ref - 1, you - 0.
It's more than obvious that so many of these plays are so much easier to blame on the ref than to admit fault by yourself or one of your own. Did you ask your team mate why he was a bonehead for dumping the guy on you? Nope, blame the ref instead.

So, he still has to get up off of me and not just lay on me. He purposely stayed on me until the puck was in the slot on their stick....you cant argue that. If he had gotten up right away I have no beef with the ref, but the aftermath shouldve resulted in the in the crease rule.

Yes, I completely believe that an official can prevent SOME injuries, but if you think that a team is going to stop checking from behind or cross checking because they have had it called 3 times, you are beyond delusional bud,

I can call a team for 10 cross checks, does that mean the 11th one won't happen, or that I just know it's gonna happen eventually?

Why isn't the player or team that commits the fouls on the hook for ANY of the penalties they commit? Do you really think they are going to stop because of a 2 minute penalty?

As far as your stories, I love it, you KNOW it's not goalie interference, yet you still blame the ref, amazing, and pretty much proves Stripes point.

Congrats.

BTW, you said you played an Arizona team, and judging by your name, you probably play out of Cali, where in Cali do you play can I ask?

Ive played this team many times(same league) many times, and these specific guys to boot. They stop their cheap shots when they get called on it a few times. I didnt say goalie interference, but in the crease couldve been called when he purposley stayed on me. And that situation wasnt against an Arizona team, but the helmet one did. BTW I play in Oxanard. You play at Logitech right?

 

[Sega Dreamcast]

Any ref that warns players for swearing is automatically on my hate list. That guy just slashed my forearm, I'll say "****" as loud as I want.

 

[sjmay*]

So, he still has to get up off of me and not just lay on me. He purposely stayed on me until the puck was in the slot on their stick....you cant argue that. If he had gotten up right away I have no beef with the ref, but the aftermath shouldve resulted in the in the crease rule.



Ive played this team many times(same league) many times, and these specific guys to boot. They stop their cheap shots when they get called on it a few times. I didnt say goalie interference, but in the crease couldve been called when he purposley stayed on me. And that situation wasnt against an Arizona team, but the helmet one did. BTW I play in Oxanard. You play at Logitech right?

Logitech?? Don't know it, they never had a rink up in Oxnard while I was in California.

In the crease could not be called as he was shoved in by your player, and you say he purposely stayed on you until the puck got to the side of the net on his team's stick. I am wondering how you think he saw this? If he was pushed hard enough to fall on top of you, I am pretty sure he is either looking at the ice or you, wondering what the hell just happened, then he is looking for his bearings, and then trying to get up, not so cut and dry is it?

 

[kingpest19]

Ive got a few of these. Had one guy a few years back that I could never figure out why. The one that sticks out the most is I was forechecking on a play, took a swipe at the puck and hit the guys skate. He took 3-4 strides and went down. Got called for the trip and I just sort of looked at him and went to the box. Come out of the box and end up in the zone with puck. Same guy pulls my feet out from underneath me no call. I was like I get pulled down and no call? His response was oh well two wrongs dont make a right.

Another time in our playoffs had another ref that was just horrible. One of our guys got a roughing call when had the puck and the opposing player ran into him. Had a few guys on our team that had guys taking runs at them all game long in a no check league. It was like he had blinders on to what was happening. Our team ended up getting another penalty for roughing while our guy had the puck and got hit. I ended up getting thrown out of the game for questioning his eye site in no uncertain terms.

 

[Gino 14]

Any ref that warns players for swearing is automatically on my hate list. That guy just slashed my forearm, I'll say "****" as loud as I want.

That's the attitude you need to watch the game from the box or the locker room.

 

[MrBoxOffice]

Tied game 2-2, league championship. I get the puck behind their net and do my best doug gilmour impersonation and wrap the puck back around for a goal.

Only that its disallowed because apparently I lifted the net with one hand and put it in from behind.

Good call ref.

 

[RinkRat6671]

The only time I was ever REALLY livid with a ref was when my MCL got torn in a game. Another player used her stick to grab my ankle, and when that failed to stop me, she swung her stick at my knee and between where and how hard her stick hit, and the way my weight was shifted, I felt something tear, and I hit the ice. They ended up carting me off the ice on a stretcher.


There was no penalty called because the ref told my coach the hit wasn't that hard and that I was diving for the call. Coach was livid.

A week later, I had surgery to fix the tear in my MCL. Surprisingly, the ref did apologize to my coach for the call. (or lack thereof)

 

[Stripes]

If a player comes out a head hunts another out of the blue for no or whatever random reason, then the ref couldn't have prevented that.

But if two teams start chippy and it keeps escalating then the ref can take steps to prevent (although not 100%) it from getting out of hand. Bench warnings to let everyone know to smarten up or else, or just plain ejecting the bad apples to let the guys who are there to play do so.

Refs can control the tone of the game, I've seen it done many times. I've also seen some refs who can't or don't know how and things can go sideways. After playing long enough, you figure out what to expect from different refs.

I never said that a referee can't control a game. My point was that any attempts to do so is completely dependent on player response. Like I said, I've had games where I've called so many penalties, kicked out multiple players, and the game still had no control.

Especially in minor hockey and the beer leagues, the adults who are either coaching (minor) or playing (beer leagues) need to be in control of their own actions at all times, with or without a referee making the appropriate calls. Why is it so hard for players and coaches to do that? Referees are not there to be babysitters.

When I still skated beer league games, I did snap on one bench after being told I had no control over the game. My comments were to the tune of, "That game sheet is almost full, you guys are still playing like morons, I've ejected 5 players already, and you're telling ME I have no control on this game? I don't have a ****ing stick in my hands. Shut up and smarten up."

So pretty much your telling me in my situation it wasn't the refs fault. Do you really believe if the refs had called the checking from behind, boarding, goalie interference penalties upwards of 15 times that they would do ot again. Heck, they would've stopped at 3 of those penalties if the refs had a brain and called obvious calls for anyone who knows hockey. If you really believe calling penalties won't help prevent injuries your isane.

Like I said above, it can, but it's not a guarantee. Calling penalties is not a remote control to turn the level of dirty play down. It is 100% up to the players and coaches as to whether they get the message or not. You cannot sit there and say that had the referee called more penalties earlier during the game, that your player would not have been hit from behind and concussed. You just can't.

THAT, and when you described your situation, the basis for your complaint was that the referee only called a minor, then you suggested the concussion was the referee's fault. So again, how the hell would a major penalty being called instead of a minor take away the concussion?

And in a game I played my temmate shoves a guy onto me. Yea I know it's not goalie interference but the guy doesn't get off of me(purposely) as the pucks moving around behind the net and they have it at the side. He gets up as they pass it to the slot and I hurry up to my feet but they score. I'm complaining to the ref that he shouldve whitsled in the crease on them he says my temmate shoved him on me so no call. I know that so I say that the guy just laid down on me and that's why there shouldve been a call. He just skates away.

I skate away too when players try to talk to me when they don't know the rules. As you've already been told, the crease rule cannot apply if the player has been shoved in.

 

[Burgmania]

A few years ago, in a spring/summer rec roller league . . .

It's the playoffs - first game, first period. My team is myself, my little brother, and friends of mine from the same town. We all went to high school together - we even have a county sheriff's deputy and our high school chemistry teacher on the team. Good crew.

That being said, the score's 0-0. A shot is taken on our goalie, and he traps it underneath him. The whistle blows. Our goalie stands up, and the ball rolls from underneath his pad behind him and into the goal.

There were 2 refs - one at the blue line, and one on the goalie's left half-board. The one on the half board points to center ice and calls it a goal.

Yeah, I went bat-**** crazy on the guy.

Excuse me, sir - could you explain why you called that a goal?

87, I called it a goal because the ball's in the net.

The whistle went first. The play was dead!

Not from what I saw.

Where was the ball when you blew the whistle? Did you see it in the net?

I couldn't see it.

Exactly. How can a goal be called if the puck's not in the net?

At this point, the ref turns away from me, so I start following him.

It turned into a rather heated conversation, in which I threw several expetives, and was eventually kicked out of the game.

The goal stood, and we ended up losing, 4-3.

 

[RandallRitchey]

Our game last week didn't go quite as planned.

Our team was thrown together LAST minute before the session started as one team (it was a family team) was leaving for a three or so weeks for vacation (Europe). Since they just couldn't skip out on four games, we got to play for half price. Hard to say no to.

No one knew each other on our team and we're not that good to start with. This is a no checking league, like most are. We we're 0-5-0 going into the game and its hard to keep your head up at that time. But we lost the last game in the last seconds (Hit cross bar) so we came close. We had some confidence, but it was sliding early.

We took an early 1-0 lead in the first and held it throughout the entire first. I took a penalty on a high stick, four minutes. I did catch him him the CAGE! but its still a four minute penalty, in the last minute.

Never got an explanation on the call.

Whats worse than that is one of our teammates gets CREAMED into the boards with the puck on the other side of the rink. He couldn't keep playing and they called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. It broke his collar bone.

No call.

Going into the third, down 2-1 we feel we have a good shot. We tie it, beautiful snipe by my center. They waive it off. The explanation, the puck was tipped with a high stick. Tell me how this happens when the puck was snipped five hole.

A minute later, our goalie gets called for checking after he gets run over behind the net. We eventually lose the game 4-1. Our goalie was pretty shaken up after the hit.


Come to find out that the guy who had his collar bone broken (Mike) was friends with the ref up until two years before Mike totaled the refs car driving the ref home because he was drunk.


Now tell me how that is a fairly reffed game?

 

[Sega Dreamcast]

That's the attitude you need to watch the game from the box or the locker room.

No, it's the idiocy of the ref to not notice the slash but go out of his way to comment on my foul language.

 

[Mayor Bee]

[deleted]

 

[Moses Doughty]

Logitech?? Don't know it, they never had a rink up in Oxnard while I was in California.

In the crease could not be called as he was shoved in by your player, and you say he purposely stayed on you until the puck got to the side of the net on his team's stick. I am wondering how you think he saw this? If he was pushed hard enough to fall on top of you, I am pretty sure he is either looking at the ice or you, wondering what the hell just happened, then he is looking for his bearings, and then trying to get up, not so cut and dry is it?

Ah my bad I thought you were from San Jose. And when'd you leave California?

And maybe I said it wrong or you misunderstood but he didn't get up till his teammate had the puck in the slot. He was watching the puck his head was moving with the play. Though I don't remember if be was pushed hard. He didn't fall so hard on me it caught me off guard. I can't find another reason with this stuff taken into consideration. And he got up just in time for me to make a desperation attempt. Do you have a reason?

 

[sjmay*]

Ah my bad I thought you were from San Jose. And when'd you leave California?

And maybe I said it wrong or you misunderstood but he didn't get up till his teammate had the puck in the slot. He was watching the puck his head was moving with the play. Though I don't remember if be was pushed hard. He didn't fall so hard on me it caught me off guard. I can't find another reason with this stuff taken into consideration. And he got up just in time for me to make a desperation attempt. Do you have a reason?

From L.A., left god, almost 10 years ago if I got my time line straight lol,

You want another reason why the guy laid on ya? lol Now don't get all pissy on me, but it's men's hockey, they all suck, generally speaking that is about 90% of the reasons why things happen in men's hockey, is because guys have either A. played in their youth, gave it up and are now back to it, or B. never played in their youth but love the game and are playing now.

NEITHER is a bad thing when you have your head on straight, but it's rare for someone from either group to know the game well enough to be able to comment without bias on a play that happened in a game they were involved with, either it was a GREAT CALL because your team benefited from it, or it was a BRUTAL CALL, because you didn't, there is no middle ground on about 90% of the calls made in men's hockey.

The guy got pushed into you, hard, not hard, doesn't matter, he was probably disoriented, was looking around wondered WTF just happened, looked for his stick, had you yelling in his ear, etc.

BTW, I am pretty sure it took less than 5 seconds to get the puck to the slot, so try this sometime, k next shinny or pre-game ya got some time on your hands, stand in front of then net, put a defenseman in the crease, have someone flatten you from behind or not either way, hard enough into the "goaltender" and then count how long it takes for you to disentangle yourself. You'd be surprised.

 

[Gino 14]

We took an early 1-0 lead in the first and held it throughout the entire first. I took a penalty on a high stick, four minutes. I did catch him him the CAGE! but its still a four minute penalty, in the last minute.

Never got an explanation on the call.

Hmm, you hit the guy in his cage with your stick, sure sounds like a high stick to me. What further explanation do you need?

Whats worse than that is one of our teammates gets CREAMED into the boards with the puck on the other side of the rink. He couldn't keep playing and they called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. It broke his collar bone.

No call.

Contact is legal in hockey, and sometimes legal contact results in a player getting hurt. No call may have been the appropriate thing.

A minute later, our goalie gets called for checking after he gets run over behind the net. We eventually lose the game 4-1. Our goalie was pretty shaken up after the hit.

Sounds like your goalie retaileated for a missed call and got caught, happens all the time. At least one of the offenders was caught.

Come to find out that the guy who had his collar bone broken (Mike) was friends with the ref up until two years before Mike totaled the refs car driving the ref home because he was drunk.


Now tell me how that is a fairly reffed game?

At least you have a valid reason for blaming the ref for your shortcomings.........

 

[The Thomas J.*]

I had a ref that used to smoke on the ice while the game was going on. That in itself is annoying, what made it really agravating was when he would stand by the bench & smoke while I was inbetween swifts Trying to get some air.

 

[RandallRitchey]

Hmm, you hit the guy in his cage with your stick, sure sounds like a high stick to me. What further explanation do you need?

Yes, I should have gotten a two minute high sticking call, I was given a four.

Contact is legal in hockey, and sometimes legal contact results in a player getting hurt. No call may have been the appropriate thing.

He was checked into the boards. We play rec league roller hockey. its a no contact league.

Sounds like your goalie retaileated for a missed call and got caught, happens all the time. At least one of the offenders was caught.

Thats the thing, our goalie didn't check him, he got run over behind the net.

At least you have a valid reason for blaming the ref for your shortcomings.........

Yeah, and Mike has someone to blame for his broken collar bone.