Before the start of the Belarus Open, we were able to get a brief comment from the head of the ISHF Referee Committee.
— Maxim, hello! How is the preparation of the judging team going?
— Hello! Beforehand all the referees who will work at the tournament were sent the official rule book of short hockey, the judges are experienced, so there should be no problems with adapting to short hockey. After arrival, I held a meeting with them, answered all their questions, and now they are preparing to go to the ice.
— Will you work on the ice by yourself?
— Yes, but not much. I will be the referee at the opening game; the other members will be watching me.
— How many referees should work at one game.
— Four. One referee on the ice, two behind the net and a referee, who will write the protocols. As for the latest one, it’s a very time-consuming job, because you need to establish communication between all referees and record each action on the ice as quickly and accurately as possible.
— How long do you think it will take for referees to get used to short hockey?
— It seems to me that a couple of game days should be enough. In any case, I’m always ready to help and advise the refs on controversial points, which is why I’m at this tournament.