Paul Stewart: Positioning Sells Calls: The TAB Techniques

Stewie, are blatantly wrong calls like that reviewed by the league from an officiating standpoint?

The puck was never in the glove.

Will that official be reprimanded, fined, given a tongue lashing?

After a similar play that ultimately decided the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals, the league would take proactive measures to fix their officials' positioning.

Paul Stewart: Positioning Sells Calls: The TAB Techniques
- Paul Stewart

Paul: A related question. The way that I've heard things, the referee is supposed to play dead "when he loses sight of the puck." This cannot be the rule literally. Whenever a player skates the puck behind the net, there is no way that the referee can see the puck. Similarly, if a referee is in the corner and players are cycling on the other side, skates and sticks will obscure his view. Obviously, the puck is still in play in these situations, so what is the correct wording for when the referee should blow the play dead?

Stewie, are blatantly wrong calls like that reviewed by the league from an officiating standpoint?

The puck was never in the glove.

Will that official be reprimanded, fined, given a tongue lashing?
- MBFlyerfan

Officials have supervisors, and there are performance reviews. Yes, there is coaching that goes on. A single missed call, even an obvious one, is not cause for a fine/ reprimand. Do we fine/reprimand a defenseman for a single egregious giveaway? A goalie for a single soft goal? It's a human game, and humans make mistakes.

After a similar play that ultimately decided the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals, the league would take proactive measures to fix their officials' positioning.
- jmatchett383

It's a different philosophy than mine and the one that I teach to my officials. Their priority is stay out of the way and make a call from that angle. My belief will always be to get to the net.

The new Alliance of American Football league is going with a real time video review official. He can call down and say 'you missed a hold' etc.

Do you think this has any place in the NHL?

I think either you go for every available officiating edge OR, accept human errors as part of the ebb and flow.

Personally, I miss when the refs were a part of the atmosphere. I pretty much hated them all and just KNEW they were short changing the Bruins... (it wasn't until I started reading this blog that I FINALLY accepted that refs don't play favorites)

Officials have supervisors, and there are performance reviews. Yes, there is coaching that goes on. A single missed call, even an obvious one, is not cause for a fine/ reprimand. Do we fine/reprimand a defenseman for a single egregious giveaway? A goalie for a single soft goal? It's a human game, and humans make mistakes.
- Paul Stewart

no but playing time is taken away and/or someone else starts.

Not for a single play, nobody would be on the ice.

Well said Paul. Not only does positioning sell calls, it puts the official in the position to actually make the call.

AAA bantam and midget they don't want the in zone ref to cross behind the net which is insane. The theory is "do these officials have the ability to do that at the right times?" If the red band official at these AAA levels can't make that call correctly there are many levels they can work.

Nothing should sell calls.

Call the game by the rule book.

If your team is winning 12-0 in an exhibition game, or your team is losing 2-1 with 5 minutes left in the 3rd of game 7 in the SCF, a slash to the hands is still a slashing penalty.

The problem with officiating is the consistency and politics. The game is called differently in the playoffs than in the regular season. If your team is losing the calls seem to go your way more often than when your team is winning, etc, etc.

Stop the politics and call it by the book.

crickets