ANNUAL OFFICIATING MEMBERSHIP EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

LEVEL 1 REFEREE REQUIREMENTS:

• Submit online Officiating Membership application and fee ($55.00)
• Complete a L1 officiating classroom seminar sanctioned by USA Hockey
• Complete L1 Online Education Module training
• Complete online L1 Playing Rules Exercise
• Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older)
• Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.

LEVEL 2 REFEREE REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have complete Level 1 membership within the last two seasons
• Submit online L2 Officiating Membership application and fee ($110.00)
• Complete a L2 officiating classroom seminar sanctioned by USA Hockey
• Complete L2 Online Education Module training
• Complete online L2 Playing Rules Exercise
• Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older)
• Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.

LEVEL 3 REFEREE REQUIREMENTS:  

• Must have complete Level 2 (or higher) membership during previous season
• Submit online L3 Officiating Membership application and fee ($110.00)
• Complete a L3 officiating classroom seminar sanctioned by USA Hockey
• Complete L3 Online Education Module training
• Complete online L3 Playing Rules Exercise
• Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older)
• Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.

LEVEL 4 REFEREE REQUIREMENTS: 

• Must have complete Level 3 or Level 4 membership last season
• Submit online L4 Officiating Membership application and fee ($110.00) 
• Complete a L4 officiating classroom seminar sanctioned by USA Hockey
• Complete L4 Online Education Module training
• Complete online L4 Playing Rules Exercise
• Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older).
• Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.

AFFILIATED (NON-SKATING) MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS:

• Submit online L0 Non-Skating Affiliate Officiating Membership application and fee ($45.00)
• Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older)
• Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• An official may not change their membership level to a higher level once their online membership application is submitted.
• "Complete" membership registration means that an official has completed all education steps at the level for which they have applied.
• "Incomplete" means that an official has submitted a membership application but has not completed all the necessary steps to be complete at any level.
• A new incomplete official may not officiate any USA Hockey sanctioned games until they are completely registered and receive their current season referee card and sweater crest.
• Once complete, a membership is valid through November 30 of the following season (e.g. a 2024-25 membership is valid through November 30, 2025). If the member does not complete their current season membership prior to November 30, their membership expires and they become ineligible to work USA Hockey sanctioned games until they complete their current season membership registration.
• To be eligible to officiate in any State, District or National Tournaments, an official must be completely registered on or before December 31 of the current season.

USA Hockey Playing Rules Exercise

There will be a Playing Rule Exercise requirement for every membership level. Playing Rule Exercises consist of answering a series of questions using the current 2025-29 USA Hockey Playing Rules, and the exercise is completed when the game official answers the required number of questions correctly:

• Level 1 = 40 questions
• Level 2 = 60 questions
• Level 3 = 80 questions
• Level 4 = 80 questions
• Tenured (L3 or L4) = 40 questions

It is strongly recommended that your use your copy of the 2025-29 USA Hockey Playing Rules to answer the questions.

USA Hockey Learning Center

All membership education requirements are completed through the USA Hockey Learning Center. Please use your USA Hockey Single Sign-On ID (SSO) to enter the system. Your SSO ID will be provided to you after you submit your Officiating Membership application (or Coaching Membership application).

To Be Updated as events open.

Please keep track of USA Hockey's Clip of the week.  This weekly publication will often cover points of emphasis, and provides guidance on the standard that should be used when calling games.

Parents, coaches, players, and officials can all learn from these clips.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBVW8Ve0IWKvt4I_oA_nkrQ

Also useful are the Officiating Development Program's (ODP) videos that show calls from around the NAHL and USHL.  While the penalty options may differ in youth leagues, the calls made are generally to the same enforcement standard expected at the Youth level.  Please keep an eye on these videos, too.

REMEMBER..... ALL Game Misconduct and match penalties must be reported through the USA Hockey Incident reporting system (instruction sheet below).   Any Match Penalty assessment should also be reported to the SDAHA RIC ASAP!  Use email listed to advise of Match Penalty immediately after game.

Also, major penalties included in the aggressive category should be reported in the game reporting system.  (Rule 411)

Jared Ahlberg of Aberdeen has been appointed as the Refereee In Chief for the SDAHA.  

If you have questions on rule interpretations, testing process or the test itself, registration, or any other issues that arise during the season, please feel free to contact him at;

ahlbergsdric@gmail.com