Lesson #3: Verbal cues and hand signals

by Stephen Lorimor / Axis of Stevil

Watch lesson #3a (verbal cues) and lesson 3b (hand signals) on YouTube.

Last updated: January 21, 2018

The basics

  • All penalties are issued using the following format:

    • (whistle) + team color + skater number “spelled out” + penalty (cue and hand signal) + report to the box hand signal

  • Verbal cues (especially penalties) fall into three tiers called stars (one star, two star, etc.). They roughly correspond to basic, intermediate, and advanced cues.

    • One-star cues sometimes lack specificity but are appropriate for the beginning official.

    • Two-star cues are standardized cues that provide additional information that replace one-star basic cues in certain situations. They are appropriate for experienced officials.

    • Three-star cues are non-standardized and should be used as used as necessary to provide additional context. Advanced officials are expected to use these.

    • Example:

      • One star: “Gold one zero, illegal procedure”

      • Two stars: “Gold one zero, star pass violation”

      • Three stars: “Gold one zero, star pass violation, report as the jammer”

  • Call loudly, clearly, and repeat hand signals as necessary (especially on the outside)

Penalties

4.1.1 - Impact to an illegal target zone

  • Back block

  • High block

  • Low block

4.1.2 - Impact with an illegal blocking zone

  • Head block

  • Forearm

  • Leg block

4.1.3 - Other illegal contact

Illegal Contact, or

  • Illegal assist

  • Early hit

  • Late hit

  • Out of play block

Direction, or

  • Stop block

4.1.4 - Multiplayer blocks

  • Multiplayer

4.2.1 - Illegal positioning

Illegal position, or

  • Failure to reform

  • Failure to return

  • Failure to yield

  • Destruction

  • Skating out of bounds

4.2.2 - Gaining position

Cut, or

  • Illegal re-entry

4.2.3 - Interfering with the flow of the game

  • Interference, or

    • Delay of game

4.2.4 - Other illegal procedures

Illegal Procedure, or

  • Star pass violation

  • Pass interference

4.3 - Unsporting conduct

Misconduct, or

  • Insubordination

Obsolete penalty cues

  • These were removed or heavily modified in the current system.

  • They may resurface as three-star cues

    Out of bounds block

    Out of bounds assist

    Destroying the pack

    Clockwise block

    Clockwise assist

    Stopped assist

    Illegal return

    Elbows

    Too many skaters

    Blocking with the head

    Penalty box violation

    Uniform violation

    Illegal call-off

    Team staff violation

    Stalling

    Leaping contact

    Charging

    Unsporting conduct

    Reckless entry

    Embellishment

    Blocking while down

Additional communications

Skater identification required

  • Show the star

  • False start

  • Report to the box

  • Stay on the track

  • Return to the track

  • Go to your bench

  • Lead Jammer

  • Not lead jammer

No skater identification required

  • Star pass complete

  • Team timeout

  • Official timeout

  • Official review

  • Jam is on

  • Multiple penalties

  • No pack, or

    • No pack, split

  • Pack is here, or

    • Pack is front / back / all / etc.

  • Out of play, or

    • Out of play in front / back

Hand signals

  • Referees must know all hand signals

    • Expressively – the ability to perform them correctly for others

    • Receptively – the ability to recognize hand signals by others

  • This is an appropriate time for referee trainees to learn standardized hand signals as well as hand signals used by the local officiating community.

Homework