Registration Rules & Policies (2024)

Submission of USA Hockey Officiating Program membership applicationsfor the 2023-24Seasonbegins on June1, 2023and ends after December31, 2023.

All 2022-23membershipregistrations must be completed by February 28, 2024. No referee cards and sweater crests will be issued after this date.

Membershipis valid for the entire season in any district or state in the United States, and membership within any local officials association or local hockey league is not required for USA Hockey Officiating Program membership.

Returningofficials may apply for one level higher than their completed registration level the previous season.

Once completely registered, an official whois under the age of 16years-old may remain at Level 1.

An official who is 16years-old (or older) and has 2 (or more) years of completed officiating membership registration, must advance to Level 2.

Officials are allowed to take one season as "unregistered" or "incomplete" and return at the same level they were last completely registered at with the exception of Level 4. Level 1registered officials are allowed to take one season off and still be eligible for Level 2 the following season. The level that each returningofficial is eligible for is designated on the online officiating application.

Once the online Membership Registration application has been submitted tothe National Office, an official cannot change the registration level they haveapplied for.

More information pertaining to these steps is posted below.

LEVEL 1 REQUIREMENTS:

• Must complete online MembershipApplication
• Must submit Officiating Membershipfee ($55.00)
• Must attain an Open Book Exam score of 35/50 (or higher)
• Must attend and complete a local Level Classroom Seminar sanctionedby USA Hockey
• Must complete SafeSport training(if 2006Birth Year, or older)
• Must complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned criminal Background Screen if 18(+)years old on June 1, 2023.

LEVEL 2 REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have been Level 1 (Complete) within the last two seasons
• Must complete online Membership Application
• Must submitOfficiating Membershipfee ($110.00)
• Must attain an Open Book Exam score of 60/75(or higher)
• Must attend and complete a Level 2 VirtualClassroom Seminar sanctionedby USA Hockey
• Must complete Level 2 Online EducationModulecurriculum
• Must complete SafeSport training(if 2006Birth Year, or older)
• Must complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned criminal Background Screenif 18(+)years oldon June 1, 2023.

LEVEL 3REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have been Level 2 or higher (Complete) during previousseason
• Must complete online Membership Application
• Must submit Registration Fee ($110.00)
• Must attain an Open Book Exam score of 85/100*(or higher)
• Must attend and complete an Officiating Virtual Classroom Seminarsanctionedby USA Hockey
• Must completeLevel 3 Online EducationModulecurriculum
• Must complete SafeSport training(if 2006Birth Year, or older)
• Must complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned criminal Background Screenif 18(+)years oldon June 1, 2023.

*Level 3Tenured Officials must attain an Open Book Exam score of 45/50.

LEVEL 4 REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have been Level 3 or 4 (Complete) last season
• Must complete online Membership Application
• Must submit Registration Fee ($110.00)
• Must attain an Open Book Exam score of 90/100* (or higher)
• Must attend and complete a Level 4 Officiating Virtual Classroom Seminarsanctioned by USA Hockey.
• Must complete Level 4 Online EducationModulecurriculum
• Must complete SafeSport training(if 2006Birth Year, or older).
• Must complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned criminal Background Screenif 18(+)years oldon June 1, 2023.

*Level 4 Tenured Officials must attain an Open Book Exam score of 45/50.

AFFILIATED (NON-SKATING) MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS:

• Must complete onlineMembership Registration
• Must submit Registration Fee ($45.00)
• Must completeSafeSporttraining(if 2006Birth Year, or older)
• Must complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned criminalBackground Screenif 18(+)years old on June 1, 2023.

IMPORTANT NOTES:
An official may not change their membershiplevel to a higher level once their online membership applicationis submitted.

"Complete" membership registration means that an official has completed all steps(exams,seminars, online training, etc.) at the level for which he/she has applied.

"Incomplete" means that an official has filed an application buthas not completed all the necessary stepsto be completeat any level.

A new incomplete official may not officiate any USA Hockey sanctioned games until he/she is completely registered and receives their current season referee card and crest.

Once complete, a membership is valid through November 30 of the following season (e.g. a 2022-23membership is valid through November 30 2023). If the member does not complete their current season membership prior to November 30, their membership expires and they become ineligible to work USA Hockey sanctioned games until they complete their current season membership registration.

To be eligible to officiate in any State, Districtor National Tournaments, an official must be completely registered on or before December 31 of the current season.

Each season all officials must complete anOpen Book Playing Rules Exam.

Officials who do not receive the minimum passing score for their registrationlevel, will be given access to a Re-take Exam. The Re-take Exam is availableafter a seven day waiting period (from submitting the first exam),and once available this re-take must be completed within 30 days.

Attendance at a sanctioned USA Hockey Officials Classroom Seminar is required for all applicants, regardless of level.

Classroom Seminar sessions may be offered in a "In-person" or online "Virtual" classroom (via Zoom Meetings). Please make sure you read the seminar schedule carefully regarding what type of seminar is being offered.

At the seminar, every official and instructor in attendance must be sure to "checkin" with the Seminar Coordinator to confirm attendance credit. The attendance form will be returned to the USA Hockey National Office for credit within 24 - 48 hours after the conclusion of the seminar.

NOTE: An official is not required to attend a seminar in their respective state or USA Hockey District. An official may attend any sanctioned seminar in any district and receive credit toward registration.

Level 4 Official applicants must attend a Level 4 specific seminar for proper credit.

LEVELS 2, 3 & 4 Only

Online VideoModulesconsists of a series of course categories (Required, Positioning, Penalty Criteria, etc.).All course categories must be completed to finish online training.

All modules within the Required and Elective categories must be completed. The Electivecategories contain a menu of "elective" modules andan official must complete the required number of modules (e.g. 4 modules of 7 offered) within the category to complete the category.

There will be a short quiz at the end of each module that the official must pass to complete the module and continue with education. If the official does not pass the quiz, the module will reset and the official must complete the module again.

Returning Level 3 and Returning Level 4 officials may fast-forward through the Elective video modules to proceed directly to the quiz to complete the module. If they do not pass the quiz, they must complete the entire module again.

As part of USA Hockey's continued effort to create a safe playing environment for all participants, those officials who are a 2006Birth Yearor older at the beginning of the registration seasonare required to complete theonline U.S. Center forSafeSport education program.

The online program is free of charge and is hosted on the U.S. Center for SafeSport web platform.

NEW FOR 2023-24: Per United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and U.S. Center for SafeSport policy, all returning officials must renewSafeSport training within 12-months of the previous season's training (e.g. if you completed training on September 15, 2022, you must renew your training by September 15, 2023). An official that does not maintain annual training within 12 months will become ineligible to work any USA Hockey sanctioned game.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN TRAINING

All officials who are 18(+) years-old or older by June 1 of the current year, mustsubmit to a USA Hockey coordinated Criminal Background Screen. More information about screening can be found at this page.

Background screens are valid for two seasons, and no background screen performed by an outside entity or governing body will be accepted.

Registration with the USA Hockey Officiating Program does not guarantee any official any game assignments.

Officials are responsible to obtain their own game assignments from Local Game Schedulers as designated in each District. Any game scheduler who assigns incompletely registered officials for games is subject to serious liability as he/she jeopardizes the insurance coverage of the officials and both teams involved. Whenever possible, only level-qualified officials should be assigned to games. Updated listings of currently registered officials are available from the District Referee-in-Chief on a regular basis.