Becoming a Referee
Become a Hockey Official!
If you want to become a hockey official, here is all the info you need! Officiating hockey games is fun and a great way to use all the knowledge 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.
How to Register
All of the information needed to register is in the link below. It will direct you to the Wisconsin Hockey Officials Association website.
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:
- Register and pay your USA Hockey fee. You must complete this step first. REGISTER WITH USA HOCKEY
- Wait 24 hours for USA Hockey to transmit your data to WHOA.
- 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.
- 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
Seminar Schedule
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:
Nearby Level 1 & 2 seminars for 2022:
- Sheboygan - Sat Sep 17
- Fond du Lac - Sat Oct 1
- Oshkosh - Sat Oct 15
Equipment Needed
You will need to invest in some reffing equipment before your first seminar. Below is a list of what you will need:
- Black Helmet and 1/2 visor
- Referee Shirt
- Black pants that will fit over shinguards*
- Whistle
- Skates
- Protective Cup (for boys)
- 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.
Here are a few links to where you can purchase "kits" to save some money..
Zebra's Club (Ships fast)
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.
Scheduling Games
In order to schedule yourself for games, you will need to go to the Greater Green Bay Hockey Referees page and make an account. Once you have completed your training through WHOA, and get your badge, you will need to contact our Region Rep, Dave Mather. See his contact info below or at the upper right of this page.
He will get you set up in the system with a username and password. From there, you can log on and select games that you are interested in. It is best to work with a higher level ref the first few games to "learn the ropes". Dave can guide you in that process so you are comfortable on the ice.
I would also suggest that, in addition to the Officials email, one parent email is used for communication. I have it set up that way so that I know when my kids will be working and if/when they need a ride. When you sign up for a slot, you will get a confirmation email. If there becomes a problem and you can't make your time slot, there is a way to go into the system and request a replacement.
HOW TO SCHEDULE/SUBMIT AVAILABILITY FOR GAMES
Games are assigned based on any availability that is submitted by officials. In order to submit your availability you must:
- click the three bars to the left of your name on the home screen, then click on the “Assignments” tab and that opens the section you need for both submitting availability and requesting games.
- Under the “Assignments” tab you can click the “Submit Availability” which brings up the availability calendar. You can submit your availability out as far as you are registered, and you can change that as often as you’d like, UNTIL that week is scheduled. Once a week is scheduled you are no longer able to change your availability and any games assigned within your availability become your responsibility.
Also under the “Assignments” tab is the “Open Games” tab. After a week is scheduled using the availability submitted, any open (Unfilled) games are listed as open, and are available for officials to select. As Officials request these open games they are filled as best I can with the officials available. In addition, any games added by the teams after a weekend is scheduled will be listed as open.
Finally, Payment! As officials you are independent contractors. You work for each of the associations that you selected when you signed up for the Scheduling Service. At the end of each month I bill the associations for all games worked that month, and they will issue you checks at that time (Generally within 10 days).