Mr Jiggyfly
Registered User
- Jan 29, 2004
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Has anyone been kicked out of a youth hockey game before?
- Thread starter Mr Jiggyfly
- Start date
Porter Stoutheart
Seen Stamkos?
- Jun 14, 2017
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Never seen that. Definitely lots of cases of a lone parent (or coach/bench personnel) getting tossed for jawing at the refs.
In a way, I kind of applaud the officials for going that route. It's unfortunate for the few like you who might be considered "collateral damage", because there are always a few like us who do sit away and stay silent no matter what transpires. But I have definitely been at games where multiple/majority of parents on both or either side got frustrated with officiating and were making themselves heard all game long. In those instances, the refs always just ignored it or singled out an individual if they could identify one. But I can definitely think of times where just tossing everybody or letting the clock run out might have been a reasonable option for them.
Basically I think parents are nuts in minor hockey in general, so, not being there to see everything that transpired leading up to this in your game, I'm inclined to side with the refs on this one. Even if they messed up a few calls, it shouldn't give the loonies in the stands carte blanche to make fools of themselves.
In a way, I kind of applaud the officials for going that route. It's unfortunate for the few like you who might be considered "collateral damage", because there are always a few like us who do sit away and stay silent no matter what transpires. But I have definitely been at games where multiple/majority of parents on both or either side got frustrated with officiating and were making themselves heard all game long. In those instances, the refs always just ignored it or singled out an individual if they could identify one. But I can definitely think of times where just tossing everybody or letting the clock run out might have been a reasonable option for them.
Basically I think parents are nuts in minor hockey in general, so, not being there to see everything that transpired leading up to this in your game, I'm inclined to side with the refs on this one. Even if they messed up a few calls, it shouldn't give the loonies in the stands carte blanche to make fools of themselves.
Never heard of this before, but I know that last year a game against a rival city got pretty heated, because the calls against our kids seemed to be through the roof. Reffing in our league is pretty sketchy at times. Also certain refs have been known to inflate their importance
Mr Jiggyfly
Registered User
- Jan 29, 2004
- 34,436
- 19,483
Never seen that. Definitely lots of cases of a lone parent (or coach/bench personnel) getting tossed for jawing at the refs.
In a way, I kind of applaud the officials for going that route. It's unfortunate for the few like you who might be considered "collateral damage", because there are always a few like us who do sit away and stay silent no matter what transpires. But I have definitely been at games where multiple/majority of parents on both or either side got frustrated with officiating and were making themselves heard all game long. In those instances, the refs always just ignored it or singled out an individual if they could identify one. But I can definitely think of times where just tossing everybody or letting the clock run out might have been a reasonable option for them.
Basically I think parents are nuts in minor hockey in general, so, not being there to see everything that transpired leading up to this in your game, I'm inclined to side with the refs on this one. Even if they messed up a few calls, it shouldn't give the loonies in the stands carte blanche to make fools of themselves.
Refs made one bad call, but whatever.
It was just non stop stupidity from the parents starting with the boarding call a minute in, until we all got tossed.
When one dad got thrown out in the second, you’d think the other parents would have stfu.
But all the intelligent people know yelling at refs totally works out for you, on and off the ice, so why not double down on the stupid?
And that they did.
In NJ, if a parent is kicked out of a game, they receive a 30-day suspension from all team activities. Not sure if it is a USA hockey rule or just local. 2nd offense is 60 days and I believe the 3rd is 1 year. Parents are barred from attending practices or games. They are allowed to drive them to the rinks, but they are not allowed to enter. If the kid is too young to dress themselves and tie their skates, either someone else has to help them or the parent has to help the kid in the parking lot. They are allowed to sit in their car in the parking lot. Idea behind that is if the kid gets hurt, parent is still nearby.
But, have no idea what the repercussions would be if an entire team of parents were thrown out.
But, have no idea what the repercussions would be if an entire team of parents were thrown out.
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Mr Jiggyfly
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- Jan 29, 2004
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That must be a local rule, because I’ve known parents who were kicked last season and were never suspended.
I want to say I wish we had that rule, but I’d be suspended for 30 days…
Earlier in the tournament we had a parent yelling dumb shit to kids on the other team (13 year olds).
Same game there was a dirty hit from behind into the boards by a kid on my daughter’s team.
I was pacing back and forth hoping this kid would get up, and as the 13 yr old child lay motionless for several minutes, parents were saying shit like he was faking it.
Zero concern this child could be severely hurt.
Then moments later a brawl almost broke out between parents on both sides. 9-10 dads bumping chests all up in each other’s faces….
A week earlier they had a tournament in Toronto and the parents were such a shitshow that the team manger had to send out an email to remind parents how to “behave”.
They couldn’t even go a week without being morons.
So all the red flags were there before all of us got booted last Sunday.
BackToTheBrierePatch
Eff Cancer
Entitled parents. How dare they call a penalty against their precious child.
I know you are committed this year, but I would be finding a new team for my kid next season.
If there were isssues already, refs may have already been given the heads up and told to take care of things quickly.
Slats432
Registered User
Never as a parent. Once as a coach. (And that could have been the worst reffing I have ever seen, but not a profanity was said. 
)
)
Yukon Joe
Registered User
So no, never kicked out of a game, either as a player, parent or coach.
Never seen all the parents kicked out either - but I guess at a certain point the refs can't spend all their time policing which parent is saying which profanity, and in order to get on with the game you have to go with collective punishment.
But really - do you think the kids on the ice are going "cool! my dad's getting kicked out! I love how he's sticking up for me" versus "OMG how embarrassing... I wish my dad would just shut up"...
Never seen all the parents kicked out either - but I guess at a certain point the refs can't spend all their time policing which parent is saying which profanity, and in order to get on with the game you have to go with collective punishment.
But really - do you think the kids on the ice are going "cool! my dad's getting kicked out! I love how he's sticking up for me" versus "OMG how embarrassing... I wish my dad would just shut up"...
depends on the kid. By me, a lot of kids would think it is awesome as they then emulate the parents.
It’s really difficult as a parent not to get emotionally involved in the game while you’re watching. I’m the first to admit that I live vicariously through my son when he plays hockey.
Having said that making a scene has the potential to not only embarrass your kid, but also make you look like a fool in front of the other parents. Certain behaviours cross the line. There are some parents that definitely get labeled “nut jobs”. Taking the coach aside to chew him out. Screaming at their own kids. In one case we even had a dude who screamed at everyone else’s kids (negatively). Then there are a whole other class: the dude who gets overly loaded on a travel weekend and loses it.
Most of our games the refs are teenagers who don’t have our elevated view of the game from the stands. The problem is that the mob psychology is difficult to fight. Once 3 or 4 parents witness a bad call together, it’s really hard not to complain or get a bit worked up.
Having said that making a scene has the potential to not only embarrass your kid, but also make you look like a fool in front of the other parents. Certain behaviours cross the line. There are some parents that definitely get labeled “nut jobs”. Taking the coach aside to chew him out. Screaming at their own kids. In one case we even had a dude who screamed at everyone else’s kids (negatively). Then there are a whole other class: the dude who gets overly loaded on a travel weekend and loses it.
Most of our games the refs are teenagers who don’t have our elevated view of the game from the stands. The problem is that the mob psychology is difficult to fight. Once 3 or 4 parents witness a bad call together, it’s really hard not to complain or get a bit worked up.
MeHateHe
Registered User
- Dec 24, 2006
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Pretty famous story around here of the referee who cleared the rink about 10 years back. It was a playoff game between two smaller communities, and the spectators were getting into it with each other. There was at least one physical altercation (maybe not exactly a fight, but close) and it was getting out of hand. So they cleared the rink and called the cops and then finished the game, which settled down to just hockey as soon as all the yahoos in the stands were out in the parking lot.
As to the OP, it kind of looks like the referee might have skipped a step or two. Back when I was still instructing at referee school, we'd always tell refs to use the bench to control the stands. If parents from one team were causing the problem, you go to the coach of that team and say the game doesn't resume until that parent was either settled down or gone. It is almost always just one dad who has no impulse control, and others feed off that bad energy.
Another minor hockey league I worked for made it a requirement that the home association was responsible for having security in the rink for games. It was always parents (sometimes from the team playing, sometimes not) but wearing a high-vis vest with "security" actually made them effective. If things went bad, they'd just call the cops anyway, but people act a lot more respectful if they see security in the building.
As to the OP, it kind of looks like the referee might have skipped a step or two. Back when I was still instructing at referee school, we'd always tell refs to use the bench to control the stands. If parents from one team were causing the problem, you go to the coach of that team and say the game doesn't resume until that parent was either settled down or gone. It is almost always just one dad who has no impulse control, and others feed off that bad energy.
Another minor hockey league I worked for made it a requirement that the home association was responsible for having security in the rink for games. It was always parents (sometimes from the team playing, sometimes not) but wearing a high-vis vest with "security" actually made them effective. If things went bad, they'd just call the cops anyway, but people act a lot more respectful if they see security in the building.
That's pretty toxic stuff. I've seen some behaviour from parents on my own kids teams and other teams that make me question humanity, but never an arena cleared, or half cleared, no.
It's early September and a long season. Honestly the team Association needs to step in, that can't go on for the next 8 months.
U15AA?
It's early September and a long season. Honestly the team Association needs to step in, that can't go on for the next 8 months.
U15AA?
oldunclehue
Registered User
- Jun 16, 2010
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This is wild but happened in a game that my sons team played in:
-Championship game in a spring tournament
- One of the players brothers had a small airhorn (zero signage or policy banning them)
- He hit the horn when our goalie made a great safe and fans cheered
- We were on a 3-1 after the save going down and the ref blew the play down.
- Went to the crowd and said every fan/parent of this team GET OUT NOW
- Put 5 mins on the clock and said if every single one hadn't left the arena the game was a forfeit
- Kicked out grandparents, little kids everyone.
- The tournament organizer was in the building and parents told him.
- He chewed out the ref and allowed everyone back in, noted to the ref that the arena did not ban airhorns and infact the Junior team who plays out of it has a train horn.
It was wild...like power trip of a ref who was having a bad day.
As a parent or coach I've never been kicked out of a game. As a player....it was a different time and two fights = game ejection. Had a lot of those.
Slats432
Registered User
What city is this? In some Alberta cities it is a policy to not have excessive noisemakers.
oldunclehue
Registered User
- Jun 16, 2010
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Yes lots of arenas around here have policies, which we always follow, but some don't. This was literally a small electric horn that sounds like a small truck horn.
I've brought my drill horn places and if there is a policy it stays in the vehicle (playoffs/championships). I don't bring it for regular season games.
Howie Hodge
Zombie Woof
Never been kicked out of a sporting event as a parent.
Kept my mouth closed as I know my sons did not want to hear their parent yell. The game is for the kids; not the parents. Too many parents forget that.
I would sit away from any parent(s) who yelled.
As a player - well that's a different animule.
Kept my mouth closed as I know my sons did not want to hear their parent yell. The game is for the kids; not the parents. Too many parents forget that.
I would sit away from any parent(s) who yelled.
As a player - well that's a different animule.
Slats432
Registered User
We were in provincials in Strathmore last season and the drill horn was awful. Everyone but that team's fans complained and the tournament director had to step in. I suggested I might call the fire department for a noise complaint. They did it all game, not just when a goal or big play.
Yukon Joe
Registered User
I will say this - I'd rather have parents that are obnoxiously loud (as long as not abusive) than have to sit through an entire game where parents feel like they need to sit on their hands all game.
I don’t mind this kind of stuff as long as it’s not deafening or unnecessary like you’re describing.
I do recall a situation last year in which our team was getting pummelled by a rival city, and they kept blowing the airhorn when the game was way out of hand. Maybe this is just my old school upbringing, but it seemed really classless and more than a couple of parents were losing their cool.
alko
Registered User
oldunclehue
Registered User
- Jun 16, 2010
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Ya no, etiquette is the name of the game with the drill horn. Playoffs and championship games, only for goals and big plays during those games nothing else.
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
Speaking as a District President in Minor Hockey who deals with referee incident reports every day of the season - you yourself did nothing wrong in this scenario, and there were likely other bystanders who were in the same boat. But I don’t blame the referee at all - and actually applaud them - for going nuclear to get rid of the toxic parents. Referees put up with so, so much insane behaviour from everyone - players, coaches and spectators. But spectators often seem to think that they’re immune from being given the boot because they aren’t on the playing surface, which emboldens some of them to be even worse.
When officials are taking their clinics, they’re encouraged to use all the tools at their disposal to keep the entire arena in order. And that includes ejecting parents. Sometimes they’ll hear an awful remark or observe a behaviour from across the rink and are just not able to ID who specifically committed the act - and they’re instructed in a scenario such as that to use their discretion in ejecting everyone if need be.
So, in summary - you did nothing wrong. But from my perspective, neither did the official.
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