Links & Resources

USAH and its affiliates have a multitude of online resources that can be of help to you. While these sources may not have the answer to complicated or specific questions, they often help provide basic info. They also often provide contact info for people who could answer more difficult questions.

At the national level, you’ll find broader info, perfect for getting started:

1. https://www.usahockey.com/officials provides overviews, resources to learn from, and other basic info.
2. https://courses.usahockey.com/public/ is the place to get your card and crest! You can view your progress here, as well as watch videos that help you learn about all aspects of officiating.
3. https://www.usahockey.com/officiatingdirectory provides the names and contacts of all state Referees-in-Chief.
4. https://www.usahockey.com/asktheofficial is my favorite part of the national website. Here you can find over one hundred rule questions. With all of them answered by USAH national staff, it is a great way to quiz yourself and learn more!

District sources often provide localized info, an explanation of development paths, and local Referee-in-Chief contacts:

1. https://www.usahockey.com/officiatingdirectory provides the links to all active district websites.
2. Some districts have their own officiating websites, ie. (https://nedofficials.com/ for the New England District (NED) and https://www.aahaofficials.com/home for the Atlantic District.) These are amazing resources that are primarily dedicated to help newer referees.

State Resources are the best find to figure out your local assignors, information about state tournaments, and to learn about what rinks exist nearby. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your state Referee-in-Chief; they want to hear from and help new officials.

1. Most states have a state hockey website with a tab dedicated to officiating. For example, the NH Hockey website (https://www.nhhockey.com/page/show/1258708-referees) has a whole section for referees. This is likely the best place for you to find localized information about who to reach out to and how to get your first games.
2. If you are lucky, your state will have its own officiating website. While rare, this does exist. Illinois is one example of this: https://ihoa.com/. If this resource exists for your state, use it! It is the best possible resource you can have.