Pre-season event for RIHF inspectors

A pre-season camp for inspectors of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) was staged in Saint Petersburg.

The camp brought together specialists who officiate matches in both professional leagues and youth competitions. Over the course of several days, the inspectors followed an intensive program aimed at standardising approaches to evaluating referee performance and improving the training system for officials. Under the guidance of Alexander Antropov, the Head of the Inspection Department within the RIHF Officiating Directorate, the group analysed work undertaken by officials in previous campaigns.

Special emphasis was placed on preparing the inspectors - both theoretically and practically - for the upcoming season. Key areas included studying changes to ice hockey rules and regulations, establishing effective interaction with officiating crews, developing criteria and unified approaches for evaluating referees' actions during games and completing electronic inspection reports within the RIHF officiating database.

To hone their practical skills, the inspectors attended matches during a pre-season tournament featuring teams from the All-Russian Hockey League; there, they evaluated referee performance and worked through the nuances of organising and managing the officiating process. The training concluded with a qualifying test on the rules of the game. Based on the results of the camp, the list of inspectors approved for duty in the new season was finalised.