Before you decide to become a hockey referee, it is important that you believe it is something you would enjoy. Unfortunately, referees are often shown a great deal of disrespect, so it is crucial to have thick skin and a level head. If you are someone whose feelings are easily hurt, or has a short temper, refereeing may not be for you.

On the other hand, if you have a love for the game of hockey, and feel you can make tough decisions under pressure, refereeing can be immensely fulfilling.

Anyone can become a hockey referee, whether or not you have played hockey. Of course, hockey players have the advantage of knowing how to skate, and some knowledge of the rules and flow of the game which puts them a few steps ahead.

Being a successful referee requires a good level of physical fitness. If you are not in good physical shape today, you must improve your fitness to a point where you will be able to skate for an hour at a time while still being calm enough to think and speak. Without a reasonable level of physical fitness, it will be difficult for you to develop your refereeing skills.

Skating is also a prerequisite to being able to officiate a hockey game, and your skating ability should be approximately equal to that of the players whose games you will be working. If you are new to skating, or a weak skater, there are power skating classes offered in many locations that will help with skating technique. Add enough hours or practice, and your skating will come up to speed.

Finally, referees must have a full understanding of the rules of the game of hockey. You can download the full rulebook from Hockey Canada here, or from USA Hockey here. Reading a rulebook will give you the theory of the rules, but it is also important to watch as many games as possible, at various levels, to get a sense for how the rules actually play out in real life.

Both Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have officiating programs that provide training and certification of officials, from beginners to the highest levels. Hockey associations in other countries generally have similar programs. In general, certification includes both a theory and on-ice assessment. Anyone can become certified at the lowest level, provided they have basic skating skills, and are willing to spend enough time to understand the theory.

Certification programs are offered through local hockey associations that are affiliated with the national organizations (such as Hockey Canada or USA Hockey). You should be able to search online to find the contact information of your local association, and find out from them when the next opportunity is to register for a level 1 certification clinic.

Once you are certified, you need to start officiating games, since the more games you work, the more you will develop as a referee. The same local hockey association that provided your certification will be able to recommend places to look for officiating work.

In general, it is best to start out officiating younger children, since their games will be less competitive and slower moving, which will allow you to get comfortable with the skills you have learned. Remember that regardless of how low the level of hockey is that you are officiating, it is important that you treat your role as a referee seriously. This will not only make for a better game, but will help you to develop more quickly.

As you get more and more games under your belt, you will be able to officiate faster, higher-level games. Eventually, you will need to obtain higher levels of certification to allow you to work more elite levels of hockey.