CHC Full Ice Mites

Updated Feb 20, 2024

USA Hockey has granted the Connecticut Hockey Conference an exemption for limited 8U full-ice game play beginning in Jan 2024. More details are available in this post on the CHC web site. We are grateful to the CHC for allowing us to use these player development sessions as training opportunities for new officials.

The objectives for new officials working the 8U full ice Mite development camps are simple:

• Gain game experience in an extremely low pressure environment
• Develop confidence in positioning, skating like an official, signaling, and blowing the whistle
• Learn to work with a partner

Game assignments will be made in the Arbiter system. If you are not already registered in Arbiter, provide the following information to Kevin Redding, the CT Referee-in-Chief (ctric@chchockey.org)

• Name
• Date of birth
• Cell phone number
• Cell phone number of parent if under 18
• Email address
• Email address of parent if under 18
• Street address including zip code

Officials must wear a referee sweater with current USA Hockey crest, black helmet with visor, hockey player skates, and black pants. Bring a finger whistle. All other protective gear for officials is highly recommended.

Mentors should wear a dark tracksuit top, their helmet, visor, pants, skates, and a whistle. Protective gear is discretionary.

Officials and mentors are to arrive at the rink no later than 30 mins before the scheduled game time. Mentors, please reach out to the officials via email, text or phone call prior to game day for a brief introduction and to make arrangements to meet. If the official is under 18 then be sure the parents are included in all communications.

Mentors and officials will have their pre-game meeting in the locker room when getting ready for the ice. Mentors should explain how the shadowing system works. Determine in the locker room who will conduct the center ice faceoff. Mentors will instruct officials on the handshake technique for handing off a puck during the game.

When the crew takes the ice, nets should be checked as for a real game. Mentors, instruct the officials on the correct way to inspect a net. Meet briefly in the referee's crease before taking up positions for the opening faceoff. There will be no anthems played for these sessions.

USA Hockey rules will be used.

Pins used to anchor the nets will not be used for safety reasons.

Score will not be kept until Week 3 of the camp, which begins on Sun, Feb 4 in Northford and Fri, Feb 9 in Newington. There will however, be someone operating the clock. Officials are to consider that person the scorekeeper for purposes of reporting goals and penalties.

Penalties will not be served until Week 4. If a penalty is observed during Weeks 1-3, officials should signal the penalty, stop play, and assess the penalty (including reporting the penalty to the scorekeeper). However, penalties will not actually be served until Week 4. Inform that coach of the penalty and let them tell that player that what they did was illegal. The penalized player does not have to be removed from the ice before the end of their shift. Starting in Week 4, one minute minor penalties will be served.

The goal is to complete three 12 minute periods in the ice time allotted. A full three periods may not be completed, depending on the skill levels of the players and the amount of coaching done during the game. It is up to the coaching staff and rink personnel as to when the session is over.

Since this is a development opportunity for officials, coaches have been asked not to be on the ice. However, since this is primarily for the players, if the coaches do want to be on the ice and actively coaching, mentors should ask that the coaches stay out of the officials’ skating lanes. This conversation should happen with the coaches prior to the game.

For the first three weeks of the camp, the buzzer will sound approximately every 90 seconds for line changes. When the buzzer sounds a last play faceoff will occur. Players transitioning from cross-ice to full-ice are used to all faceoffs occurring at center ice, so mentors and officials may have to make it very obvious the first few times where the faceoff will occur. Beginning in Week 4, the buzzer will not sound every 90 seconds. Players will change either on-the-fly or during a stoppage just as during a normal game. Officials are asked to make sure that players are lining up on the correct sides before conducing a faceoff.

When a goal is scored, a center ice faceoff will occur. Players transitioning from cross-ice to full-ice are used to play restarting immediately and informally without a faceoff. A whistle may be necessary to stop that from happening.

Players will do the traditional post-game handshake. Officials are to monitor the handshake line as outlined in the Basic Officiating Manual. Mentors will make sure the officials are in the proper position and observing the player interactions.

At the completion of the handshake, mentors will instruct the officials on the proper way to put the nets against the boards so the ice can be cleaned.

Mentors and officials will debrief quickly in the locker room after the game. Parents are welcome to attend the debrief. If there is another game that the mentors will be working immediately thereafter, a quick debrief can be held in the referees crease or in a penalty bench as preparations are made for the next game.

Payments will be made electronically through RefPay. As part of signing up for Arbiter, officials  or parents should have been sent an email about setting up a RefPay account. If no such email was received please reach out to Kevin Redding, the CT Referee-in-Chief at ctric@chchokey.org