As we begin our inaugural year with the Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF) I would like to take a moment to wish you all good luck and hope that you have a safe season. As game officials it is our responsibility to maintain control of an otherwise violent sport. We as officials need to be on our toes at all times to protect players from injury or other acts of violence above and beyond the nature of the game. I have been officiating hockey for over three decades now and have seen the game change quite a bit. I will ask that you, as the on-ice official, make it your duty to enforce the rules as they are written to protect the players. Officials should make it their responsibility to know the rules of the game they are officiating. Any official that does not know the rules will be suspended from the EHF until they have proven competence with the current rules for that season. Officials are also not to engage in any threatening, abusive, or verbal attacks on players, coaches or fans. If a fan is unruly, ask the coach for that team to remove the fan. Coaches will be warned by the on-ice official that the game may be declared a forfeit if the fan does not leave the arena peacefully at once according to the rules for that current game (USA or NCAA). Under no circumstances is an official to confront a fan in a threatening manner. Such acts will result in suspension from working further games for the EHF. Remember, there is no need to let a fan get under your skin. If you let them do that to you, they will take you off of your game and then you will be no good to yourself, your partner, or the game. Please refrain from interacting with the fans, let rink management deal with the fans. We will have a Zero Tolerance Policy when it comes to participants of a game.

Please have some tolerance when it comes to the coaches. If they are speaking to you in a polite, calm manner, I expect you to speak to them in kind. Trying to prove that you are in charge by throwing coaches out will not make the game any less intensive. Ejecting a head coach should be a last resort to establishing control of the situation rather than a way of diverting attention from yourself if you have made an error. If you know that you made a mistake, own up-to-it, most coaches will respect the fact that you have admitted your error and cease the verbal assault on your ability to officiate. Yelling at one another only makes the situation worse, skate away and let your partner move to the bench area so that you are away from the coach for the next few minutes. Get it out of your system, then after a few minutes, maybe you can talk to him. Above all, please be a little patient, think before you eject a coach…remember that most of these people are volunteers and are here for the betterment of the game, throwing them out should be an exception rather than the norm, think first!!

I hope that we can all work together. This is our first year together and we will get our bumps and bruises as we learn how to walk. I hope to make this a fun year for all and you can help me by providing feedback as the season progresses. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. I will make every effort to get back to you as soon as possible.

Thanks, and good luck,
Donald (Skip) Roberts
EHF Referee-in-Chief

TIMEOUTS
There will be NO timeouts allowed until the playoffs. At that time, each team will be allowed 1 one minute timeout per game. All other league rules will still apply.

GIRLS
All divisions of girls will play USA Rules. There will be no unnecessary body contact between two players. This does not mean that a defensive player cannot squeeze an opponent along the boards, but blatant body contact should be called all the time. NO tag up is allowed in any Girls EHF Games.

MIDGET
Midgets will play by ALL current USA Rules. NO tag up will be allowed.

SQUIRTS thru BANTAMS
Current NCAA rules will be used. Please read the rules as there are some differences between USA and NCAA. Wear the proper patch. DO NOT wear a USA patch during an NCAA game. Checking is allowed at the squirt level, tag up is allowed for offsides in ALL divisions squirt through bantam.

MITES
Current NCAA rules except that there will be NO CHECKING at the mite level. Tag up offsides will be used.

PENALTIES
Please know what the rules are for the game you are working.

Penalties will be defined as:

• (USA)
  Minors, Majors, Misconducts, Game Misconducts (requires one game suspension), Match (Requires a hearing within 30 days)

• (NCAA)
  Minors, Majors, Misconducts, Game Misconducts (no game suspension required), Disqualification (progressive suspension policy is in effect.)

12 Minute Periods:
Minor 1:00
Major 3:00
Misconduct 6:00

15 Minute Periods:
Minor 1:30
Major 4:00
Misconduct 7:30

Any player who receives a total of 7.5 minutes in penalties, in 15 minute period games or, 5 minutes in 12 minute period games (excluding misconducts), will automatically receive a game misconduct. A game misconduct is removal of that player for the balance of that game only. This is any combination of penalties that total 7.5/5.0 minutes or more.

Any official that calls a DQ (NCAA) or match penalty (USA) must contact me as soon as possible. Anytime of the day. DO NOT let me get a phone call from the coach first…(781)771-8503 or Skipmeok@comcast.net.

Any player who receives a fighting major and DQ in the last 5 minutes of a game, will automatically be suspended for one additional game above the normal progression suspension.

Disqualification penalties will follow the NCAA guidelines for progression.

That is:

• 1st offense that game plus one
• 2nd offense that game plus two
• 3rd offense that game plus three
• 4th offense that game plus four
• 5th offense player is suspended pending a hearing by the disciplinary committee.

Rules for Disqualifications

1. Butt Ending - HR-54
2. Excessive Roughness - HR-56
3. Fighting-Punching - HR-60
4. High Sticking - HR-64 (can also call minor, major and game misconduct)
5. Hitting from Behind - HR-65 (minor, major and game misconduct or DQ)
6. Interference with Spectator - HR-68 (or game misconduct)
7. Kicking Player - HR--68
8. Kneeing - HR-69 (minor, major, or DQ)
9. Leaving Bench During an Altercation - HR-69
10. Shooting the Puck After a Whistle - HR-74 (minor, misconduct, game misconduct, DQ)
11. Swinging Stick During an Altercation - HR-74
12. Spearing - HR-74

OFFICIALS
Officials should take the ice before the teams. Officials should arrive on the ice together and leave together. Check the players for earflaps, mouthpieces, and make sure that the goalies are wearing chinstraps. Introduce yourself to the coaches, visiting team first, and talk to them for a moment. This isn't a reunion, say hello, explain the face-off procedure and anything else important pertaining to the game, and be on your way.

Establishing communication with the coaches can go a long way later in a heated moment. KNOW the rules!! Please PRINT YOUR NAME on the game sheet, then initial it so that I can read it later on, this is the only way I can know who is doing what. I hope to incorporate the 3-man system into the EHF to further promote advancement of officials. It is with your help and support that we can accomplish this task.