Lesson #7: Referees (all positions) =================================== *by Stephen Lorimor / Axis of Stevil* `Watch this lesson on YouTube `_ Last updated: May 22, 2018 Game-related duties ------------------- - Assist with setting up the track - Attend pre-game and halftime officials' meetings - Call out penalties as observed - If a referee is in doubt on a call, a penalty must not be called. (5.4) - If intent must be inferred but is not clear, legal intent must be presumed. - Echo jam call-off whistles / hand signals (for an exception see lesson #10) - Call official time-outs as necessary to protect safety and proper game play - Participate in official reviews - Call off jams early if necessary for safety - Maybe call off for: minor injury, skater equipment failure, penalty that gives one side an unfair advantage, nearby emergency, spectator interference, or spills/debris on the track - Always call off for: injury that presents an immediate danger, technical or mechanical difficulty, venue malfunction (ie; power outage), fighting, or physical interference by anyone not in the jam (including fans on the track). - Between jams / at the jam start - Communicate penalties from the prior jam with the penalty tracker as necessary - Watch for false starts and early/late hitting - Watch for too many skaters (pivots, jammers, etc.) - Bring major issues to the attention of the head referee - Provide warnings for technical infractions (too many skaters, potential false starts, missing skater numbers, etc.). Do not provide warnings after the five second pre-jam announcement. - (low priority) Address non-officials’ minor issues/questions/requests as time and your duties allow. Tips and reminders ------------------ - Skaters (team staff, spectators, etc.) will aggravate you, sometimes on purpose. Any response should be professional and done within the rules. - Referees are not coaches. Our duty is to ensure fair play, not to assist a team or individual skater. - Referees must wear safety gear at all times while standing on skates. - Exception: removing one’s helmet during a national anthem. - Exception: safety gear that provides no medical benefit - Only the lead jammer ref should initially call off the jam in response to a jammer’s call-off signal. - There are ideally 2 inside pack, 2 jammer, and 3 outside pack referees. Scope of officiating -------------------- - The scope of what we can and cannot officiate is not well defined. - When do we begin and end officiating during a game? - When do we prevent a skater from participating due to injury? - At what point do we bar a skater from participating due to equipment failure? - At some point our authority ends and skaters are responsible for themselves. The line of demarcation is not clear.