On the ice, officials of the game shall include either two referees or two referees and one linesman. Other minor officials include two goal judges, a timekeeper, a penalty timekeeper, and a scorer.
| A referee is responsible for the general supervision of the game. This person can be identified by the red or orange armbands. A referee’s judgment of goals is final. In addition, this is the only official with the authority to assess penalties for rule violations. |
| Linesmen are primarily responsible for watching for violations involving the red line and the blue line. Such infractions include icing and offsides infractions. Linesmen also conduct face offs. They are also expected to break up fisticuffs and other altercations that occur during the game. Some leagues allow linesmen to call penalties, while others only allow them to report the infraction to the referee. |
| Goal judges turn on the red goal light to show that a puck has entered the net and a score has been made. |
| The game timekeeper is responsible for stopping and starting the game clock. |
| The penalty timekeeper records the penalties imposed by the referee. This person is responsible for ensuring that the correct penalty times are posted on the score clock. |
| The official scorer is responsible for obtaining a list of eligible players from both teams prior to the start of the game. This official awards points for goals and assists, and her/his decision in this regard is final. |
As you move through the lesson, you will learn about quite a few fouls and violations. As you review each foul or violation, try to find the matching official hand signal using the websites below.
When a violation occurs, the referee immediately signals for penalties and play stops promptly. If the penalty is against the defending team, the official signals a delayed call and stops play when the team loses possession of the puck. Various official signals are shown on the following pages.
