High school playoffs for Mississippi Valley and Mid States varsity begin the weekend of February 2. Here are some important notes and reminders for all officials who may be considered for high school playoff assignments. 
 
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES

• All playoff assignments will be scheduled via availability and will not be posted on the “Search for Games” tab. Make sure to login to OSWEB and go to Schedule > Date Requests and update your availability for February.

• Please update your February date requests calendar daily to ensure that you are maximizing your availability. 

• Allow yourself plenty of time to arrive to your assignments. Plan on arriving 45 minutes prior to start time. Call me immediately if your partner(s) has not arrived by 30 minutes prior.

• File game reports and incident reports immediately following your game. There are many games being played in a short period of time. The leagues must be alerted of any suspensions or discipline issues effectively, as the next game for that player could be as early as the next day.

 
GAME MANAGEMENT

• As tensions are already high coming down the regular-season stretch and into the playoffs, make sure to review the rule book. We have seen some calls involving misapplied rules lately and it is important to get the calls correct. Take extra time to confer with your partners to make sure you are applying the rules accurately.

• Please continue to call penalties. Do not go light on aggressive penalties, especially Head Contact, Checking from Behind, Charging and Boarding. “It was not that bad” means that it is likely deserving of a minor and misconduct. There is no such thing as a playoff standard. 

• Referees should hustle at all times and get to the net, especially on goal-scoring opportunities. Practice solid positioning to ensure a maximum field of view. Use verbalization and proactive officiating, keep yourself calm & cool, and apply the rules consistently. Consult with your partners, as necessary, especially on multiple penalty situations, major penalties and injury potential plays. Keep your conversations with captains and coaches professional and brief.

• Linesman should also hustle and get to their blue line before the play. Work together to ensure faceoffs are conducted fairly and efficiently. Assist the referee by covering for him on any breakaways or odd-man rushes. Diffuse situations with your physical presence and voice. Amp up your awareness, especially clock awareness, near the end of periods. 

RESOURCES 
2017-18 Mid States Playoff Rules (Varsity & JV)

2017-18 Mississippi Valley Playoff Rules (Varsity)

2017-18 Mississippi Valley Playoff Rules (JV)

Playoff hockey involves high energy, emotional players, coaches & spectators, and lots of excitement. Make sure you are physically and mentally prepared for all of your assignments and come to the rink ready to work hard.
 
Thank you and best of luck to everyone this playoff season!
 
Teppei Sakuma
VP Scholastic

The St. Louis Blues for Kids Foundation has generously awarded MIHOA a grant to be used to offset the initial expense of becoming an ice hockey official. Based on the terms of the grant, this opportunity is only available for Level 1 and Level 2 youth-aged (13-18 years old) ice hockey officials who are members of MIHOA.

Reimbursement Guidelines
Officials who would like to have their seminar registration reimbursed, must meet ALL of the following guidelines:

1. Between the age of 13-18 as of March 31, 2018.
2. Register for and attend a 2017-18 USA Hockey Seminar conducted by MIHOA.
3. Complete all USA Hockey and MIHOA registration & certification requirements by November 30, 2017.
4. Must be a Level 1 or Level 2 certified USA Hockey official during the 2017-18 season.
5. Must officiate a minimum of 10 games from September 1, 2017 until March 31, 2018.
6. Must be a member in good standing and have not violated any bylaws or policies & procedures during the 2017-18 season.
7. Must fill out a short online form to request funds reimbursement once the official has officiated 10 or more games.

Funds Disbursement
Provided an official meets all of the above guidelines, his/her 2017-18 seminar registration fee will be reimbursed during the next available payroll.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE FORM TO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT

NOTE: a limited number of officials will be issued seminar reimbursement during the 2017-18 season. Reimbursements will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis until the pool of funds is depleted.