Lesson #8: Outside pack referees ================================ *by Stephen Lorimor / Axis of Stevil* `Watch this lesson on YouTube `_ Last updated: May 22, 2018 Duties ------ - (priority) Call penalties on actions easily missed by or difficult to see from the inside - Cutting the track - Blocking with elbows, forearms, hands - Back blocks when the skater is angled to face the inside of the track - Illegal position (skating out of bounds) - Illegal contact (out of bounds blocking) - Illegal contact (out of play blocking) during no pack situations - Star pass violations and pass interference - High blocks near the inside line - Illegal re-entry from the penalty box - Skaters taking an illegal route to the penalty box - False start warnings and failure to yield penalties if they fail to yield - Communicate to the refs on the inside of the track - Nod to indicate a skater avoided an illegal action - No earned pass hand signal to indicate a pass was neither legal nor a penalty - Tap helmet to indicate a jam is being called off - Miscellaneous duties that might otherwise distract the inside staff - Check on potentially injured skaters in or near the outside of the track - Removing debris from the track - Looking for and enforcing instructions from the penalty box manager Don't forget... --------------- - When a skater does not hear your call, follow these steps: - Chase them down on the outside and repeat the call. This overrides your normal coverage. - This may involve skating clockwise around the track to meet a counterclockwise moving jammer. - Communicate the penalty to the inside referees. - Communicate the penalty to another OPR in better position to make the call - (Last resort) Skate to the inside and call the penalty from there - Focus heavily on jammer interaction as the jammer comes through your coverage area - Listen for calls from other referees - Two referees calling out the same penalty is redundant; one can remained focused on the game - OPRs rarely define the pack or issue out of play warnings, but sometimes it is necessary Tips ---- - Accelerate before the pack reaches your position. - Accelerate into turns to avoid falling behind the pack - Always be aware of the location of the other OPRs - “Leapfrog” (ie; pass and assume their position) other officials as necessary. - Watch for skaters (team staff, audience members, etc.) in the outside safety lane Three referee coverage ---------------------- - Fluid half-lap - The rear OPR falls back from turns 2 and 4 to turns 1 and 3. - This works in reverse if the pack is sprinting clockwise (rare) - Sectional - Three refs on the pack at all times. Used for slow packs. Shift to fluid if it speeds up. Two referee coverage -------------------- - Both refs on the pack, but as a ref falls behind they fall back until the pack catches up One referee coverage -------------------- - Sprint like hell and pray for slow derby Homework -------- - Watch Ref-Ed’s great videos on OPR coverage - Practice the fluid half-lap rotation Skating skills -------------- - Fast skating - Backwards skating