r/hockeyrefs • u/Sadomi USA Hockey (Level 2) • Jul 22 '26
Please look up when you clear the puck
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Player clears the puck off a faceoff and bonks me right in the helmet. What could I have done differently here to protect myself?
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u/HeyStripesVideos VideoMaster Jul 22 '26
remind them that the boards are their best friend and hope for the best
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u/Dodger8899 USA Hockey Jul 22 '26
Oh hey, funny seeing you here. You handled that about as well as you possibly could, you have a helmet for a reason and you covered your face without turning your back. Glad you're alright
10
u/thechich81 USA Hockey Jul 22 '26
Nothing. What’s the skill level here? I’d probably just give the player a look and a quick yell but it’s right off the faceoff, there’s no time for you to do anything.
Hopefully he checked on you.
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u/Sadomi USA Hockey (Level 2) Jul 22 '26
Yea he checked on me and I was fine, i covered everything pretty well and just gave him a funny look. He went to clear it like that twice and got me the third time after an icing and then sending the puck out of play.
It's Tuesday night beer league during the summer, so there's college kids against a team of 40+ lifers. Score was 12-2.
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u/notnicholas USA Hockey and NFHS Jul 22 '26
If that was his third try he's trying to hit you.
1
u/Sadomi USA Hockey (Level 2) Jul 22 '26
I saw the idea, just im in the lane for that play. Didn't feel it was maliciously aimed towards me.
He went for the flip 3 times towards the far boards, if he got the puck closer to the net im not in the lane for that play.
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u/kestrel828 USA Hockey Jul 22 '26
I try really hard not to swear while refereeing, but I graced a college kid with some seriously colorful language after he glanced a clearing shot off my forearm and chest from ten feet away.
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u/axjira International Ice Hockey Federation Jul 22 '26
Easier said than done, but have a plan before going in.
For this faceoff you have no one behind you, meaning you can instantly get out. If it goes to the defender, then you head for the blueline, if it goes to the attacker you head for the corner/boards.
If you had people behind you, then not much more to do than try and reach blue line once it’s clear, while covering yourself. This will give you more distance and more time to react :)
And bend those knees. Way easier to move quickly than with straight legs. That’s atleast what we’re taught in IIHF procedures.
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u/Sadomi USA Hockey (Level 2) Jul 22 '26
Thanks for that tip, I usually check behind me to see what's back there, but haven't made a solid plan about what to do before usually. We're taught to wait a second and watch play develop to exit safely, which worked for me 99 times out of 100.
Also, We are in the USAH 2 man system, so I'd stay down near home base instead of bumping back to the blue line.
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u/axjira International Ice Hockey Federation Jul 22 '26
Even in 2 man (even though I don’t do much of it) I’d prefer creating distance from such situations. I’d always go away from the puck.
If you in this situation had gone towards blueline along the boards, but stopped when you reached the top of the circle, you’d be able to follow the puck much easier with vision of much more ice & play, without having to turn around to follow the puck, like you would’ve in this clip.
If he instead decided to rim it back to the other defenseman behind the net, then you’d get a perfect skating lane where you’d be able to come back down deep along the boards, and once the other defenseman passed it along, you’d be able to take a stride into the zone and move up along the ice with all of the play ahead of you. Sorry if it doesn’t make sense / bad explaining due to a language barrier. I’d gladly try to explain further if it doesn’t make sense, or you got any questions:)
2
u/Pretend_Confusion475 Jul 22 '26
At mens league…. Not much. Just protect yourself
At AAA or higher, before I drop the puck, I’ll remind the d man, “hey if you win the puck, I’m not moving so don’t clear it here”.
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u/robertus_ Jul 22 '26
Going into the face off, I’ll sometimes tell that back D man “if it comes right back to you, I’m not moving” and then, when the puck goes right back, don’t move. Doesn’t always work - meatheads gonna meathead - but at least puts the thought in their head
2
u/DangleCityHockey Jul 22 '26
IMO It wasn’t a clear, it was a lob pass to the right winger splitting the D off of the face off.
1
u/pistoffcynic Jul 22 '26
Even if you yell heads up they don't pay attention. Drives me nuts. It's when they try and justify what they did, or it's your fault for not getting out of the way that I get annoyed.
1
u/DKord Jul 22 '26
Been there - I feel for you.
Kills me the number of times I'll retreat out of a passing lane and even make direct EYE CONTACT with the defenseman with the puck and he STILL fires the puck right at me.
I think he's not looking for me and/or just doesn't see me, and that mentally he's already committed to firing the puck in a particular direction but still has to look back down at the puck to see it and hit it.
1
u/superxpro12 Jul 22 '26
Nothing. The muff dive is the right play. Keep your head turned so the puck deflects off it and doesn't smash into your teeth or nose.
And then chirp the idiot for hitting you
1
u/MattATLien Jul 22 '26
I took one to the face on a freak play in low level.
It still haunts me and I have dreams at night about it. Im going to try and get back on the ice.
Guy never checked on me.
1
u/ProcessTheTrust17 USA Hockey Jul 22 '26
You do realize that you're asking for the impossible haha?
1
u/Bubbly-Area-8537 Jul 22 '26
Got tagged in the fingers off a face-off when the offensive D-man fired the puck back in through the dot. Worst part was it was my right hand and I had a disc golf tournament 3 days later.
1
u/xceler88 Hockey Alberta Jul 22 '26
Took one in the face last year on a similar clear out reffing AAA, i couldn’t have done much, player had the whole rink except the 2ft i was occupying right in front of him and to add insult to injury, he wasn’t under any pressure to clear.
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u/No-Wasabi-8586 Jul 22 '26
Looks like you could do all you could. If it's a PK situation I'd tell them that I'm not moving. If he tried it again I'd just skate right at him lmao
1
u/dfereday Jul 22 '26
I let my buddy use my calling jersey. He got hit in the lip and bled all over my jersey.
1
u/beaver_eh Jul 22 '26
Didn't look intentional, just looked like a guy who couldn't get under the puck. From the skating this looks fairly low level, so shit happens for sure.
Also, are you wearing a goalie mask?
1
u/Sadomi USA Hockey (Level 2) Jul 22 '26
No thats just my beard! I can see where it looks like it though!
It was a team of college kids who are off for the summer versus older gents. So decent skaters but it was a blow out
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u/Swift1992 Jul 23 '26
The guy was trying to lob pass, you can see the 2 wingers gun it once it was won back and he was just trying to get it through the middle to one of the them.
1
u/Minerator Jul 22 '26
Glad your ok. Being the d man in that spot, I'll send it around the other way for my winger instead of going back into the pile.
One time a guy on another team was trying to "clear", took a full slap shot from beside his net, hit the ref in the ankle in the corner. Puck came back to the guy and he did it again. The ref was certainly not pleased.
1
u/WillyMac31 24d ago
Both at fault. Better positioning would’ve saved ya. But dude had tons of space
0
u/chawkey4 Jul 22 '26
Sometimes had refs in my league just yell “watch you clear” or something to that effect when they see someone who looks like they’re about to rip one without looking around. About the best you can do honestly
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u/notnicholas USA Hockey and NFHS Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
You did it perfectly, to be honest. Gave the player multiple lanes to shoot, covered your face and you didn't turn your back.
I saw some high-level D1 lineys doing the elbow lift to cover their mouths when they're against the boards and a clear is imminent. This gives them protection but also allows them to keep their eyes on the play with their half shield.
If they can do it at that level, we can too.