By Christian Cosentino-Ferreira
Have you ever wondered how referees manage to keep track of every little close call and what evidence a ref uses to deem the call correct? When the referee announces a play that goes under review, leaving the rink full of players and the bleachers in the stands in suspense, awaiting the call on the ice, how do they make the correct call?
Connor Mallon, an OHL (Ontario Hockey League) referee for four years who’s also refereed important games, including this year’s IIHF Under 17 World Junior Championships gold medal game, described the system that referees use, called Spideo, as “seamless and fast.”
Spideo is a tablet-based application in visuals with up to seven cameras around a rink. Refs can review major penalties, goals, offsides, and other situations that could merit review in the match. The system allows referees to control the game clock, for instance, to see whether a puck crossed the line before the clock ran out, and to switch cameras to provide the best possible view of what they are attempting to review.
These reviews, of course, can be initiated by both coaches and the referees on the ice, too. With each camera being streamed, the video goal judge easily clips plays before the referees review the footage, making the process easier.
Here is a rundown of what each camera angle looks at, and which rules commonly use the camera angle to successfully review a play.
Goal frame camera & goal line camera
The cameras that are located at the very back of the net are often used during goal reviews, on close plays in the crease. Sometimes, it’s difficult for a referee to spot the puck through a pile-up of bodies or the mesh of the net, so this camera is often used for plays to check if the puck has fully crossed the goal line. Occasionally, this camera can also be used to determine whether or not a goaltender was interfered with on a goal pending a challenge from the coach.
Above-the-net camera
A camera positioned high above the net to keep track of lost pucks on top of the net or hovering around the crease. Similar to the last two cameras, this one operates from a higher position, obtaining a better grasp of the scenario for similar infractions like goaltender interference. From the inside of the net, it may look like a goaltender has been interfered with, but from above the net, a clearer vision of what really happened can help dictate the nature of the call.
Blue line cameras
These are typically stationed overhead the blue lines painted on the ice, where reviews will occur to determine whether or not a player was offside upon entry into the other team’s defensive end of the ice before scoring a goal. Offside reviews are often useless in regular play, outside of when they are initiated after a team has scored a goal with the intention of the referees taking it back due to the offside. These cameras provide a slowed-down visual of the puck crossing the blue line, giving referees a better view of where the players and puck are on the ice.
Some hockey leagues will also have blue line cameras at ice level instead of overhead to really try and line up where the puck is on the ice at the time of the players crossing over into the other team’s zone.
Main broadcast angle
This is the primary center ice camera used for the overall wide view of play, which generally helps during reviews in most cases, like offsides and goalie interference. If you’ve ever watched a hockey game, it’s essentially the same camera angle you see throughout the entire game, just without the scoreboard at the top of the screen. It’s also important to consider that sometimes reviews of plays can be necessary when determining the length of a penalty. After review, referees may decide to upgrade a minor penalty of two minutes to a major penalty that would eject the player from the game, depending on the severity of the infraction.
High-angle/Slow-mo cameras
Specialized high-frame-rate cameras are often used to determine whether or not a puck was deflected by a high stick into the net. The angle would help determine whether or not the stick is above the net’s crossbar, which is the maximum height a stick is allowed to reach to score a goal. This angle can also be used to determine if a puck that’s gone over the glass was redirected by another stick, as it can occasionally result in a delay of the game penalty.
All-12 elevated view lens
An elevated camera that provides a wide perspective of all 12 players on the ice. This camera is not integrated with every hockey league, unfortunately, as certain arenas are not built for top-down cameras; it’s great for having a great overview of where each player is on the ice at any given moment! Camera angles like these would be fantastic for determining whether or not a team iced too many players during a game; not every league holds a rule for challenging smaller penalties such as that one.
In addition, certain stadiums and leagues may provide referees with even more cameras or situation rooms that are constantly looking over plays in real time to determine calls and to ensure that games finish with the correct decisions being made by the guys in stripes.
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