Section 5 – officials

Rule 40. Appointment of Officials
(a) For inter-branch play-off games, the President of the Canadian Ball Hockey Association or his duly appointed representative shall appoint two Referees. He shall also appoint a Game Timekeeper, a Penalty Timekeeper, an official Scorer and two Goal Judges.
(b) Referees and Off-floor Officials shall be treated with courtesy at all times by players and team officials. Any infraction of this rule will be reported to the President, who may assess such penalties as the infraction warrants.
(c) Branches must use two Referees for games within their own branches.
(d) A Referee shall have full authority and the final decision in all matters under dispute. His decision shall be final on all questions of judgement and not subject to appeal.
(e) A Referee shall not be used in any Canadian Ball Hockey Association play-offs unless recommended in writing by his branch through their President, to the Canadian Ball Hockey Association’s Officer in charge.
(f) All Referees operating within the jurisdiction of the Canadian Ball Hockey Association shall be affiliated and under the control of the branch in which they are officiating.

Rule 41. Referees
(a) The Referees are the official representatives of the Canadian Ball Hockey Association or branch of the Canadian Ball Hockey Association in which the game is being played. They shall be in full control of the players on and off the floor. Off-floor Officials and the Officials connected with the competing clubs and the Referee will be backed to the limit in all legitimate circumstances.
(b) The Referee shall see that the teams are called to the floor at the appointed time for the commencement of each game, and at the start of each regulation and overtime period. The Referee shall remain on the floor at the conclusion of each period, and any overtime, until the players have proceeded to their dressing rooms.
(c) The Referee shall check the equipment worn by any player when requested to do so by the Manager or Coach of either team through the Captain on the floor.
(d) The Referee shall assess all penalties as prescribed by the rules for infractions thereof. The Referee shall stop the play for any infraction within their jurisdiction.
(e) The Referee shall give the final decision in the matter of disputed goals, after having consulted with his partner and the Goal Judge involved.
(f) Before starting the game, the Referee shall see that the appointed Game Timekeeper, Penalty Timekeeper, Official Scorer and Goal Judges are in their respective positions.
(g) The Referee shall announce to the Official Scorer the duration of the penalties and the rule infractions involved, and also to whom the goals and assists are credited.
(h) The Referee shall, when possible, see that players of the opposing teams are separated on the penalty bench to prevent feuding.
(i) After each game, the Referee shall check and sign the Official Game Report and return it to the Official Scorer.
(j) Should an official accidentally leave the floor, or receive an injury which would affect her duties while play is in progress, the play shall be stopped.
(k) If for whatever reason, the Referees appointed are prevented from appearing, the Managers or Coaches of the two competing clubs shall agree on Referees. If they are unable to agree, they shall appoint a player from each team who shall act as officials.
(l) If the regularly appointed officials appear during the progress of the game, they shall replace the temporary officials immediately.
(m) If a Referee appointed is unable to act at the last minute, or if through sickness or accident, she is unable to finish the game, the Referee in charge shall have the power to appoint another in her place, if she feels it is necessary.
(n) The Referees in charge shall be thoroughly impartial parties.
(0) While on the floor, all Referees shall be garbed in black trousers or shorts, a sweater with a branch or league crest sewn on. During all inter-branch play-off games and international competition, Referees shall be garbed in black trousers or black shorts, a black and white striped sweater with either the branch or the Canadian Ball Hockey Association crest sewn on.
(p) Referees are required to report on the Official Game Report or separate Penalty Report Form, all Match, Gross Misconduct and Game Misconduct penalties, immediately following the game, giving full details to the President. During inter-branch competition, the Referee is required to contact the Canadian Ball Hockey Association’s Officer in charge of discipline, immediately following the game.
(q) Referees shall check the goal and nets before the start of the game and at the end of each period. The Referee shall check the goal lights, timing device, and floor markings. If the floor markings are not in accordance with the Canadian Ball Hockey Association Rules, it must be reported to the President. The official method of refereeing in all Canadian Ball Hockey Association sanctioned games is with two Referees.

Rule 42. Referee
(a) The approved method of officiating all CBHA games is the two man system. The Referees shall have the authority to stop play when:

(1) off-side violations occur at the blue line or when flooring violations occur.
(2) the ball goes outside the playing surface or when it is interfered with by an ineligible person.
(3) more than the correct number of players are on the floor and the team committing the infraction has possession of the ball.
(4) the ball has been illegally batted with the hand from one player to a teammate.
(5) a player strikes the ball with a high stick.
(6) the goal net has been displaced from its normal position.
(7) it appears that a player has sustained a serious injury.
(8) A penalty is to be assessed and the offending team gains possession and control of the ball.

(b) Where an official is unexpectedly late or is injured during the first game of a day’s schedule, the game may be permitted to start and/or conclude with one official.

(1) Where an official remains unexpectedly absent or injured for the balance of the day’s schedule, the league may continue its day’s games using a 3 man system with the Referee present being assisted by two volunteers who will act as linesmen for the purposes of off-sides and flooring (icing) only. The Referee will be the only official eligible to assess penalties. The volunteers will be appointed by a league representative or by the Referee on the floor must be a member of the CBHA (the volunteer must be a registered: player, coach, team staff member or league staff member).
(2) Youth Divisions of play under the age of 13 may be permitted to use only one Referee for house league play.

Rule 43. Goal Judges
(a) There shall be one Goal Judge behind each goal. The Goal Judges shall not be members of either competing team, nor shall they be replaced during the progress of the game, unless it becomes apparent that either Goal Judge, on the account of partisanship or any other cause, is guilty of giving unjust decisions. In such cases, the Referees in charge may appoint another Goal Judge to act in her place.
(b) Each Goal Judge shall be stationed in the designated area behind each goal for the duration of the game, and she shall not change ends at any time after the game begins. Her jurisdiction is limited to that game only.
(c) In the event of a goal being claimed, the Goal Judge shall decide whether or not the ball has passed between the goal posts and entirely over the goal line. Her decision will simply be “goal” or “no goal”.

Rule 44. Penalty Timekeeper
(a) The Penalty Timekeeper shall keep the time served by each penalized player during the game and, upon request, inform the penalized player as to the unfinished time of his penalty.
(b) If a player leaves the penalty bench before his time has expired, the Penalty Timekeeper shall note the time and signal that to the Referee, who will stop the play as soon as possible.
(c) Where public address systems are used, the Penalty Timekeeper shall announce or have announced the name of each penalized player, the nature of the offence and the time the penalty was assessed.

Rule 45. Official Scorer
(a) The Official Scorer shall enter on the “Official Game Report” a correct record of the goals scored, by whom they were scored and to whom assists, if any, are to be credited. She shall also keep a correct record of all penalties assessed, stating the names and numbers of the penalized players, the duration of the penalty, the infraction, and the time when the penalties were assessed.
(b) The Official Scorer shall request that all affiliated players dressed for the game, be designated on the Official Game Report by the use of the symbols “AP” after their name (in a similar manner to that used to designate the Captain and Alternate Captains). They shall be players not signed to a regular card of the club with which they are playing.
(c) At the completion of each game, the Official Scorer shall sign the Official Game Report herself, and then have the Referees sign it. She shall then forward the Game Report to the Secretary of the branch or league involved.
(d) Prior to the start of the game, the Official Scorer shall obtain from the Manager or Coach of each team their complete lineups, verified and signed by the TEAM OFFICIAL IN CHARGE. The Captain and Alternate Captains of each team shall be duly noted on the Official Game Report.
(e) The Official Scorer shall submit the complete line-up of the competing teams to the Referee, in her dressing room prior to the start of the game and shall draw to her attention any case which she feels does not comply to the rules.
(f) The Official Scorer shall advise the Referee when the same player has received her second Misconduct penalty, or her third penalty of any kind (as per Rule 28 (f)) during the same game.
(g) Where a public address system is in use, the Official Scorer shall announce, or have announced, immediately following the scoring of each goal, the name of the player who scored the goal and the name of each player who received an assist.

Rule 46. Game Timekeeper
(a) The Game Timekeeper shall record the start and finish time of each game and all actual playing time during the game.
(b) The Game Timekeeper shall signal the Referee for the commencement of the game, the start of the second and for each overtime period. If the rink is not equipped with an automatic sound device, or if this equipment should fail to operate, the Game Timekeeper shall, by means of a siren or whistle, signal the end of each period, each overtime period and the end of the game.
(c) The Game Timekeeper shall announce or have announced when ONE MINUTE of actual playing time remains in each regulation or overtime period.
(d) In the event of any dispute regarding time, the matter shall be referred to the Referee in charge and his decision shall be final.

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