So this thread has been started to avoid making the DOPS thread about the standard of officiating and not about reporting their results..
So this is a question for those who say our officials need to get better, and there are not many of us that would argue against that sentiment is there...?
So how do we get better qualified and experienced referee's and assistants to officiate in the EIHL is DOPS a solution or a problem, should DOPS still remian considering the money that it costs and the new introduction of the incident room, is that a system that compliments the EIHL officials or part of the issue...
I really dont see many people saying that what we are seeing week in week out, out on the ice is to a standard the league should expect...
numerous players and agents have had there say and apart from a few owners with an interest in the party line it seems many are in agreement that the officiating is really just not good enough or even consistent.
It seems to be a annual topic that never actual get a solution, but what is the answer to the often described POOR refereeing in the EHIL
The EIHL and its officials
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- SteelerBlade
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It won't improve until there are systems to hold referees to account. In football substandard officials are demoted to leagues with lower match fees/salary bands. Can't happen here because there isn't enough.
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- mark
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The ability is there , it's down to the funding of the training sessions and coaching/mentoring , you are asking referees to act like professionals , well they are not professional referees, they have other jobs that pay the mortgage and feed the family so until those in charge collectively decide to increase their investment then nothing will change.

- Greenbunch257
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Absolutely Mark. They are not professionals. And here's the rub. The league is attracting better players, the league teams by and large have bigger crowd numbers. The league is starting to draw attention through webcasts and mainstream media's. All that will dissolve and collapse if the league don't address this issue. The owners have had years to address it but failed to do so because of MONEY!
Smith, Black and others have had the increase in revenue. Its therefore time to address this issue again. Get a small % of door sales allocated to the Eihl for training, development and recruiting. Get a % off the media. Get a % back from streaming webcasts, get a sponsor involved. God we have a pad full of sponsors. Set a budget for all teams to have a % taken out of their revenue after the breakeven point for each club.
Tell you what if Smith, Black and the others don't start digging into coffers for this issue, then I see someone getting hurt, seriously.
The refs of today are certainly not up to the level played. Nowhere near, 4 man system watching 12 ice hockey players. That's far less than nursery assistants have to watch of children in their care.
These refs are starting to loose games on a regular basis. Some are constantly below level and then panicking and making decisions that antagonises players, to which there is no redress on them or consistency.
Or at least doesn't seem to be.
One answer the league has come up with, is this room business. WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP.. Its just fine words and nothing behind it. Another plaster over a ever gaping wound.
It's certainly needs a critical eye looking at it.
The clubs owners listening to the finding and being held responsible for their ongoing lack of investment in what is a crucial area.
Otherwise it will go back to being like a Sunday league kick about on a ice pad somewhere.
Smith, Black and others have had the increase in revenue. Its therefore time to address this issue again. Get a small % of door sales allocated to the Eihl for training, development and recruiting. Get a % off the media. Get a % back from streaming webcasts, get a sponsor involved. God we have a pad full of sponsors. Set a budget for all teams to have a % taken out of their revenue after the breakeven point for each club.
Tell you what if Smith, Black and the others don't start digging into coffers for this issue, then I see someone getting hurt, seriously.
The refs of today are certainly not up to the level played. Nowhere near, 4 man system watching 12 ice hockey players. That's far less than nursery assistants have to watch of children in their care.
These refs are starting to loose games on a regular basis. Some are constantly below level and then panicking and making decisions that antagonises players, to which there is no redress on them or consistency.
Or at least doesn't seem to be.
One answer the league has come up with, is this room business. WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP.. Its just fine words and nothing behind it. Another plaster over a ever gaping wound.
It's certainly needs a critical eye looking at it.
The clubs owners listening to the finding and being held responsible for their ongoing lack of investment in what is a crucial area.
Otherwise it will go back to being like a Sunday league kick about on a ice pad somewhere.
- steeler pete
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What is most upsetting are the obvious missed calls we all see in the stands. They haven’t got eyes in the back of their heads but the idea of having 2 referees was to address that issue. It even seems at times that they deliberately ignore foul play. That agitates the fans more than anything else.
It seems to me that we have less experienced Refs that get it wrong but there’s no redress. I guess the new system is designed to correct that and it will take time to see if it works, but I agree that players with more experience and knowledge of the game must be at times extremely unimpressed.
In the meantime we have DOPS that sometimes report and sometimes don’t. It would be nice to see DOPS being reviewed too from time to time as we all feel they are too extreme and straying into professional conduct rather than safety.
I’d hope that the new system will begin to address un-penalised initial offences when retaliation is penalised. I think B O’C deserved his penalty on Sunday for retaliation like that but what of the original stick holding/ interference? If the game was called consistently and fairly incidents like that would be reduced.
It seems to me that we have less experienced Refs that get it wrong but there’s no redress. I guess the new system is designed to correct that and it will take time to see if it works, but I agree that players with more experience and knowledge of the game must be at times extremely unimpressed.
In the meantime we have DOPS that sometimes report and sometimes don’t. It would be nice to see DOPS being reviewed too from time to time as we all feel they are too extreme and straying into professional conduct rather than safety.
I’d hope that the new system will begin to address un-penalised initial offences when retaliation is penalised. I think B O’C deserved his penalty on Sunday for retaliation like that but what of the original stick holding/ interference? If the game was called consistently and fairly incidents like that would be reduced.
Money, money, money.
If refs only get paid in travel expenses and a bag of crisps our officiating will never improve.
We need to look at some of the other higher leagues in Europe and see how they are handling officiating.
Out of interest a NHL referee can earn up to $300,000!
https://dailyhive.com/toronto/how-much- ... s-get-paid
Whilst we can’t compare to the NHL in terms of funding, we need to look at slightly higher leagues.
I won’t be holding my breath though and think our current crop of officials have a very tough job and we wouldn’t have a league without them.
If refs only get paid in travel expenses and a bag of crisps our officiating will never improve.
We need to look at some of the other higher leagues in Europe and see how they are handling officiating.
Out of interest a NHL referee can earn up to $300,000!
https://dailyhive.com/toronto/how-much- ... s-get-paid
Whilst we can’t compare to the NHL in terms of funding, we need to look at slightly higher leagues.
I won’t be holding my breath though and think our current crop of officials have a very tough job and we wouldn’t have a league without them.
- Jayboy
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We wouldn't your right, but that shouldn't stop us trying to improve them, another way of looking at it is also that we have a great deal of players both imports and particularly British lads looking to move into a job after there playing career ends and only so many of those wanting to stay around hockey can coach, why not incentivise clubs and players to move into hockey via the on ice officials route, and as a league give them a couple more years on the ice being paid as a professional or semi professional official.. A far less physical way than playing on and still a way of staying in the sport, not right for many players, but you may tempt a couple a year.?
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- mark
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Behind it all you have a professional sport being officiated by amateurs, and that is not an attack on the individuals who give up their time. In order to bring that level up there needs to be professional referees , that is only something the league can do.

- Jayboy
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and what better way for players from our leagues to give a bit back to the sport and lengthen there career in hockey, not as amateurs but professional referee's A program from the governing body that promotes specific training, registration and Certification from the relevant organisations with maybe a financial input on the basis they start their career in the EIHL?
Obviously I wouldn't understand the minutiae of how it can be done but surely its a step in getting professional referees in the EHIL


A certain Mr Hanson was, I believe, a former professional player and he wasn't the most popular or consistent referee! I do, however, agree that it would be good for former players to take on the role.