5. Officiating¶
5.1. Staffing¶
No scenarios for Section 5.1.
5.2. Duties¶
No scenarios for Section 5.2.
5.3. Communication Between Skaters and Officials¶
No scenarios for Section 5.3.
5.4. Assessing Penalties¶
All Referees may assess penalties to Skaters for illegal actions that have impact on the game. No penalty should be assessed unless the Official is certain that the penalty is warranted.
—Origin: Section 5.4
White Captain is the Jammer and commits a penalty. In response, the White Team Staff curses loudly at the Official who called the penalty.
Outcome: A penalty is assessed to White Captain for their Team Staff’s insubordination, but White Captain’s time in the Penalty Box as Jammer is not extended. After the Jam, if White Captain is no longer seated in the Box as the Jammer, White Captain must report to the Box as a Blocker to serve the penalty earned by their Team Staff.
Rationale: When a Captain serves a penalty due to the fact that they are the team’s Captain, the penalty is served with the Captain as a Blocker. In this scenario, the Captain was unable to immediately serve the penalty as a Blocker because they could not hold the position of Blocker. As soon as they are able to skate as a Blocker, they should report to the Box as a Blocker in order to receive that penalty.
White Blocker is penalized and directed to the Penalty Box. White Blocker seems unaware of the call and remains on the track. After several repeated calls, Officials are able to draw the attention of White Blocker, and they exit the track.
Outcome: White Blocker is penalized for neglectfully failing to immediately exit the track for a penalty.
Rationale: White Blocker has gained advantage and disrupted the flow of the game through lack of attention to clear instructions from the Officials.
Keep in Mind: Before assessing an additional penalty in this manner, Officials must ensure that:
The penalty was called using the correct hand signal and verbal cue.
The Official calling the penalty was correctly positioned for the Skater to potentially see the call.
The Official calling the penalty did so loudly enough to be heard, given the Official’s position, and the constraints and volume of the venue.
White Blocker is penalized while blocking Red Jammer. After acknowledging the call, White Blocker continues blocking Red Jammer to allow White Blocker’s teammate to get in position and impede Red Jammer’s progress. White Blocker then exits the track.
Outcome: White Blocker is penalized for willfully failing to immediately exit the track for a penalty.
Rationale: White Blocker has gained advantage through intentional disregard of the rules.
Keep in Mind: A penalized Skater is not required to behave as if a penalty has been assessed until the Official has completed the appropriate hand signals and verbal cues.
White Blocker commits a penalty and is directed to the Penalty Box by an Official. White Blocker skates towards the Penalty Box, remaining in bounds for a significant distance before exiting the track.
Outcome: White Blocker is penalized for willfully failing to immediately exit the track for a penalty.
Rationale: White Blocker has gained advantage through intentional disregard of the rules.
Keep in Mind: Factors that an Official would use to determine that a Skater has failed to immediately exit the track include, but are not limited to:
The Skater has substantially reduced the distance they needed to skate in order to enter the Penalty Box.
Intentional disruption of gameplay, substantially more than would be expected from a Skater who is safely, legally, and immediately exiting the track.
Keep in Mind: A penalized Skater who is attempting to exit the track legally, but does not have an opportunity due to gameplay conditions, should not be penalized in this manner.