After exploring the issue a bit, it seems like the youth hockey rules have sufficient rules to safely manage a game. Don't get me wrong. Clarity is needed in defining mandatory penalties for head and neck hits and brutal hits. Rule changes are needed to help the referees navigate the gray area. It's the gray area that is the issue and it puts our kids at risk.
I'm not saying there are good or bad referees or that bad calls harm our kids. I am saying that the referees set and control the tone of the game. Kids and teens need to know the bad hits are going to be called with maximum penalties.
This weekend I saw 2 games. One game the referees called any hit to the back as a 2 and 10. All hits to the back got misconducts. After 2 calls, you didn't see checks into the players backs during the 2nd and 3rd period. A tone was set. In the second game, the referees were giving out 2 minutes for roughing to checks in the back and punching. Yep punching. A head-lock and punch. Both referees said they didn't see it (side note). The game played out fine but the end result shouldn't justify not setting a tone.
At this point, it is apparent that we as parents have little control over regulating the safety of a game. We can yell and scream but that does little to change the safety of the game. The referees are the main tools in making sure a game is played safely. My questions now are:
1. How are referee's trained to handle a game? Not the rules but trained to handle a game.
2. How can parents give their club or USA Hockey feedback on a referee's performance in a constructive manner?
Being a referee isn't only about getting the call right. It is about managing the safety of our kids on the ice and setting a tone to prevent game escalations. How are the referees trained to handle the tone of a game? I don't know. Let's see what's out there.
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