Paul Stewart: The Great Consistency Conundrum

How in the world two hits that should have been 5 minute penalties and a game misconduct got neither in the first two games of the series...and one didn't even get called...but hey...its not the refs fault, its the public's fault for not knowing how to see the rule right. We also knew that after the Pens got 4 straight PP, that if they even looked at a Caps player wrong, a penalty was coming...despite it being a horrible call. Yeah, take that 3 seconds before you raise that hand.

How in the world two hits that should have been 5 minute penalties and a game misconduct got neither in the first two games of the series...and one didn't even get called...but hey...its not the refs fault, its the public's fault for not knowing how to see the rule right. We also knew that after the Pens got 4 straight PP, that if they even looked at a Caps player wrong, a penalty was coming...despite it being a horrible call. Yeah, take that 3 seconds before you raise that hand.
- Thorny

Bold: this is horrible. i couldn't believe watching the intermission and listening to Liam and Mike saying "If you're washington's coaches, are you telling your guys look the next penalty will be ours" and mike responding "Yeah, i'm telling my guys to flop down because you know that it will give us a PP" or something to that effect.

That is a major problem. If one team commits more penalties than the other, it should be lopsided, that's their own fault. That's the whole point of a "penalty" to penalize the people doing things wrong. "Fair" isn't having the same number of PP's for each team, "Fair" is calling the penalties on either team, no matter who is winning, or who already received penalties.

I am surprised you wrote a blog on this subject as it is probably what gets fans and teams the most frustrated.

Why does a referee call a penalty for a tripping or slashing incident in the first period but then later in the game an infraction every bit as obvious as the other one is not called?That is not being consistent.

Why are the calls early in the game differant then closer to the end of the game or in overtime. I am sure you have heard announcers say the ref has put his whistle away. Are you saying that don't happen?

You put part of the blame on the rule book but there is no slippery slope when it comes to tripping, holding, elbowing, slashing etc. Yet many of those infractions happen and the ref makes a decision to call it or let this one go. Players get frustrated when certain things don't get called then all of a sudden the whistle goes and he gets called for something that for the last 10 minutes were let go.

There is no consistency as it seems the ref, regardless what the rule book says has the power to decide whether to blow the whistle or not even though an infraction took place.

They also don't have to explain to the fans or the coaches why they didn't make a certain call as they are immune to criticism. Players and coaches can't say anything about how bad the game was handled by the refs without getting a fine. Must be nice to have that luxury.

Bold: this is horrible. i couldn't believe watching the intermission and listening to Liam and Mike saying "If you're washington's coaches, are you telling your guys look the next penalty will be ours" and mike responding "Yeah, i'm telling my guys to flop down because you know that it will give us a PP" or something to that effect.

That is a major problem. If one team commits more penalties than the other, it should be lopsided, that's their own fault. That's the whole point of a "penalty" to penalize the people doing things wrong. "Fair" isn't having the same number of PP's for each team, "Fair" is calling the penalties on either team, no matter who is winning, or who already received penalties.
- mehetmet

Pretty much...its unreal...they do the same in basketball and drives me nuts...you will see one team get to the line 20 times in the first half and then the roles are flipped...just so they can even it up. There shouldn't be even up..if one team is taking stupid penalties over and over...you have to call, you have it..its your job.

These blogs saying that fans shouldn't say officiating isn't good enough because they haven't done it is missing the point. Even if it takes a drastic change of penalties being called in by off ice observers; something needs to be done.

What's more, constant blaming the rule book and people the blogger doesn't get along with kills credibility. It's also officials fault. Just reading these blogs shows they think it's within their purview to let their opinion of the flow of the game influence their calls. That's not what fans want. Call the game ignoring flow, let players be responsible for what happens when you do.

I am surprised you wrote a blog on this subject as it is probably what gets fans and teams the most frustrated.

Why does a referee call a penalty for a tripping or slashing incident in the first period but then later in the game an infraction every bit as obvious as the other one is not called?That is not being consistent.

Why are the calls early in the game differant then closer to the end of the game or in overtime. I am sure you have heard announcers say the ref has put his whistle away. Are you saying that don't happen?

You put part of the blame on the rule book but there is no slippery slope when it comes to tripping, holding, elbowing, slashing etc. Yet many of those infractions happen and the ref makes a decision to call it or let this one go. Players get frustrated when certain things don't get called then all of a sudden the whistle goes and he gets called for something that for the last 10 minutes were let go.

There is no consistency as it seems the ref, regardless what the rule book says has the power to decide whether to blow the whistle or not even though an infraction took place.

They also don't have to explain to the fans or the coaches why they didn't make a certain call as they are immune to criticism. Players and coaches can't say anything about how bad the game was handled by the refs without getting a fine. Must be nice to have that luxury.
- sparky

1) The NHL, in 1990s, prohibited active officials from speaking to the media. I personally never had a problem with talking to the press, because I believed that if I made a call, I was capable of addressing it afterwards. At any rate, since officials could no longer defend themselves, players and coaches were not permitted to talk about the officials.

2) Officials are hardly immune to criticism. They are critiqued by supervisors, and are subject to various internal repercussions, potentially including having assignments pulled. If you want to know why these actions aren't made public, I'd turn it around by saying if the public isn't informed every single time a coach reprimands a player behind closed doors why would you expect to be privy to something similar?

3) Actually, virtually EVERY call has a slippery slope to it, unless you want 20 power plays per game for both teams. And, no, players would not "adjust to it." They are playing hockey. Stuff happens. No two refs judge everything the same way. They should strive to be consistent with themselves, as I stated in the blog.

4) There is flow and situation to a game. I find it very amusing that the same folks who scream about something being let go (inevitably involving a would-be call against the other side) turn right around and scream "let the players decide it, dammit!" when a late-game call (inevitably against their team) gets made; it if goes your team's way, well, "They had to call that."

5) A good ref is, among others, a good communicator. There's limit to the slack than can/should be cut and both benches are usually well aware of it. If a ref says enough is enough and someone tries to push the envelope and gets called for it, he shouldn't be "surprised" by the call.

These blogs saying that fans shouldn't say officiating isn't good enough because they haven't done it is missing the point. Even if it takes a drastic change of penalties being called in by off ice observers; something needs to be done.

What's more, constant blaming the rule book and people the blogger doesn't get along with kills credibility. It's also officials fault. Just reading these blogs shows they think it's within their purview to let their opinion of the flow of the game influence their calls. That's not what fans want. Call the game ignoring flow, let players be responsible for what happens when you do.
- Antilles

Actually, it is posts such as these that prove the very points that I am making.

Just because you watch a lot of medical shows on TV doesn't make you a doctor, nor does watching a lot of courtroom TV shows make one a legal expert. If you haven't been an official, you really don't know what the real-life challenges are or what it's like on the ice.

What the average fan really wants is a 29-team rulebook, where their team gets leeway 100 percent of the time and the other side gets none one percent of the time. It's called fandom, and that's OK. I get it, but call it what it really is. And, yes, that is a form of "consistency," I suppose.

careful.
- Niatnouf

Not allowed to point out the obvious?

1) The NHL, in 1990s, prohibited active officials from speaking to the media. I personally never had a problem with talking to the press, because I believed that if I made a call, I was capable of addressing it afterwards. At any rate, since officials could no longer defend themselves, players and coaches were not permitted to talk about the officials.

2) Officials are hardly immune to criticism. They are critiqued by supervisors, and are subject to various internal repercussions, potentially including having assignments pulled. If you want to know why these actions aren't made public, I'd turn it around by saying if the public isn't informed every single time a coach reprimands a player behind closed doors why would you expect to be privy to something similar?

3) Actually, virtually EVERY call has a slippery slope to it, unless you want 20 power plays per game for both teams. And, no, players would not "adjust to it." They are playing hockey. Stuff happens. No two refs judge everything the same way. They should strive to be consistent with themselves, as I stated in the blog.

4) There is flow and situation to a game. I find it very amusing that the same folks who scream about something being let go (inevitably involving a would-be call against the other side) turn right around and scream "let the players decide it, dammit!" when a late-game call (inevitably against their team) gets made; it if goes your team's way, well, "They had to call that."

5) A good ref is, among others, a good communicator. There's limit to the slack than can/should be cut and both benches are usually well aware of it. If a ref says enough is enough and someone tries to push the envelope and gets called for it, he shouldn't be "surprised" by the call.
- Paul Stewart

First of all thankyou for commenting on my questions.

You mentioned a ref is a good communicator or should be and that benches know about the slack given and players pushing the envelope.

Can you give some insight on what does happen at ice level with the coaches and players. I have never seen it in print but have been told for instance before a game the refs will go to each bench and tell the coach what he will let slide and what he will for sure call a penalty on. Is this true?

As far as pushing the envelope do you mean something like going to both benches and say ok enough is enough there is way too much holding going on, so stop it or I will start calling it. Is that the kind of communication that you are referring too?

One of the better articles you have written. Thanks.

I believe the answer is to get the referees off the ice, and have only linesman to maintain order and drop pucks. Have the officials in a booth observing the game in greater detail. The players have become too big and the game is too fast. When a team has possession of the puck, you sometimes have 15 bodies in an area that is 100 x 80. Officials are constantly getting in the way. It is too easy to get caught up in watching the puck and losing sight of the one on one battles away from the play. I know it bucks tradition, but we live in an age where we demand accountability and technology exists to make sport better.