New Officials

Important Note:  USA Hockey registration for Officials usually opens up around August 1st and Local/Area clinics are held in Late August/ Early September.  Check the clinic listing at USA Hockey to see all the clinics in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.  There are areas near us which hold Clinics later in the year if you can’t make the local Clinic.

Step 1: USA Hockey Registration

  1. Create an account with USA Hockey Officials.
  2. Register and successfully complete a USA Hockey Officiating Seminar, the Open Book Test, and the On-Line Modules.
  3. All officials over the age of 18 must complete the USA Hockey background screening and Safesport training every two years: USA Hockey Screening and Safesport Training.

Step 2: Joining the Organization

  1. Submit NOIHOA Membership Form. Please do not fill out a membership request until you have received your USA Hockey Referee card and crest, and successfully completed the mandatory SafeSport screening, indicating that you are fully registered with USA Hockey. If you choose to fill out all of the information beforehand it will work, but you will be waiting until the USA Hockey registration and background screenings are complete.
  2. Pay your Association Dues
  3. The organization reviews the submitted information to check with USA Hockey and other governing bodies to ensure the information provided and information is entered into the financial management system.

Step 3: Accessing Arbiter

  1. NOIHOA will establish an account for the new member in Arbiter, the system used by NOIHOA for scheduling officials. As soon as your account is created in Arbiter, you will receive an email from Arbiter with all the instructions you need to use your account, the first time and on subsequent logins.
  2. Follow the instructions in Arbiter Sports Officials PDF  to log in to Arbiter and update including your personal information, home address,  and phone numbers, and click on the “Ready” button.
  3. Setup Arbiter to send your alerts and notifications to your mobile phone, including a Parent and/or Guardian if you are under 16.

Step 4: Setup to Receive Payments

  1. Fill out and return to Tam-O-Shanter a W-9 Form and a Sylvania Youth Hockey Independent Contractors Form
  2. From within Arbiter, click on the Payments tab and then the ArbiterPay logo to setup your ArbiterPay account

You should also read through the FAQ and the new member PowerPoint (sent upon registration) as most of the common questions are there.

Remember, the onus is on you as the official to complete the requirements each and every year.