Becoming a Referee

If you want to become a hockey official, here is all the info you need! Officiating hockey games can be fun and a great way to use all the knowledge and skating skills you have learned as a player. It's also a great way to make money, as most games pay around $25-$45 per game. You are able to schedule yourself so it is very flexible. Anyone that is 12 years of age before December 1st of this year can become an official.

All of the information needed to register is in the link below. It will direct you to the Wisconsin Hockey Officials Association website.

• WHOA Registration Instructions
• Registration for the 2025-26 season is now open!

It is helpful to print the instructions on that page as it is a multiple step process that takes a couple of days to complete.

Four Basic Registration Steps:

1. Register with USA Hockey as an official and pay your USA Hockey fee. You must complete this step first. REGISTER WITH USA HOCKEY
2. Wait 24 hours for USA Hockey to transmit your data to WHOA.
3. Register with WHOA and select your seminar. To register with WHOA and select your seminar, click here. Your referee number is 6-8 numeric digits in length and does NOT contain alpha characters.
4. At the conclusion of your seminar, you will be given instructions on registering in USA Hockey Courses. Courses registration verifies your seminar attendance and provides access to your closed book exam (Levels 2-4 only).

• Click Complete Registration Instructions to be taken to a detailed instruction page including direct links for steps 1 & 4 above.
• For a list of seminars, click here. 
• Questions should be emailed to: ​education@wihoa.org 

Once you have registered to become an official, you will need to attend a seminar to learn to ropes. Each year you will need to do this, whether you choose to stay at Level 1 or advance your career. The seminar link can be found below:

You will need to invest in some reffing equipment before your first seminar. Below is a list of what you will need:

1. Black Helmet and 1/2 visor
2. Referee Shirt
3. Black pants that will fit over shinguards*
4. Whistle
5. Skates with white laces
6. Protective Cup (for boys)
7. Duffel bag to carry gear in

*If you are not sure if you will like Officiating, I would recommend just using wide legged sweatpants that will fit over your shinguards for the first season, as they are cheaper than buying the "official" pants. The pants should not have any prominent logos or working, just plain black pants.

Here are a few links to where you can purchase "kits" to save some money..

Zebra's Club (Ships fast)

Hockey Ref Shop

Ref Gear Bag: the Athletico Hockey Backpack is $70, but it's a backpack and the perfect size for getting through hallways/storing in the smaller ref locker rooms during games. A larger duffel bag or a mite sized Bauer-type bag would also work if you want to save money starting out.