Rick Heinz Blog

At the Rick Heinz Goalie School, we understand how frustrating it is when a referee makes a bad call. These can all but ruin a good game of hockey, but it's also something that you will have to deal with occasionally. When you think a referee is being unfair, try to keep the following things in mind to keep yourself from doing something that really gets you in trouble.

Remember that Referees are Human

As much as you may want to hate the refs after a bad call, you need to remember that they are only human and that they will make mistakes. They might see plays from bad angles that cause them to miss what you think are obvious penalties. They might even see things that you don't, things that make that "terrible" call that leaves your team short-handed completely justified.

Focus on Things that You Can Control

As much as you might want to scream at the ref for an unfair penalty, that won't change anything. Accept the penalty whether you think it's fair or not, and move past it by being a good sport. Keeping a cool head might allow you to focus and come out ahead despite being short-handed.

Remember that a Bad Call is Different from the Wrong Call

Since referees are fallible human beings, they will make the occasional bad call just like we discussed before. That should be accepted as part of the game if it doesn't happen too often. What you don't have to accept is when the referee makes the wrong call. This means that the referee doesn't understand the rules or is being vindictive. This can and should be addressed. If you're a player and you see a referee make the wrong call, bring it up with your coach. If you're a coach, bring the call up with the referees themselves or with league officials so it can be addressed.

Learn more skills and techniques for handling yourself during a tough hockey game register for one of our Goalie Camps today.