Last spring, USA Hockey announced changes to its online registration and membership processes for officials, due to pending upgrades to older versions of software, platforms and equipment.

It was a much-needed response to the paradox of technology that impacts millions every day. As a result of the planned enhancements, the organization’s online education programs were also impacted and led to platforms being suspended for the 2024-25 season.

The good news? Improvements all around are coming soon, with a new LMS (Learning Management System) set to be launched in time for the 2025-26 registration period, starting in April.

“The changes coming are exciting and will make our education for officials even better,” said Rob Hearn, manager of USA Hockey’s Officiating Education Program. “I think we’ll see the user experience evolve over the next few years. It should also create more touchpoints with our officials so they can continue to learn, even beyond what is required to do the job.”

Out with the Old, In with the New

Some of the issues included troubles for users logging in to the online education platform and also for volunteers setting up and running classroom seminars. To accommodate for the 2024-25 season, according to Hearn, the decision was made to incorporate the playing rules exam and learning modules into the virtual classroom seminar, delivered via Zoom, separate from the existing LMS platform. 

For 2025-26, once the new LMS is up and running, the user experience – for both officials and coaches – will be vastly improved, per Hearn. While development and testing are still ongoing, plans are to feature a more organized interface and an easier path to modules and signing up for Instructor Led Training and classroom seminars. Volunteers needing to complete various administrative tasks and communicate with officials should also reap the benefits, which will include an automated email system. 

“The learning experience should be easier for all officials, whether you are brand new just starting out, or someone coming back for your 30th season,” he said. “I’ve been very pleased with the process so far. There has been a lot of collaboration and communication between the organization and officials and coaches to make sure the finished product will best suit USA Hockey and its members.”

Why Education Matters

Through the online education program, officials will learn about the basics – icing, faceoffs, offsides – to positioning, competitive contact and more technical aspects of the job. “Soup to nuts,” Hearn calls it. 

“We want to give our officials as much information as we can, so they can get on the ice, have fun and continue to learn, through mentor programs and other veteran officials,” he said. “Online education allows us to provide a standard curriculum across the country, no matter where you may be from.”

Ensuring its members have the highest level of education possible before hitting the ice is of utmost importance to USA Hockey. While Hearn says officiating is a constant learning process, he believes it’s important to “get it right” from the start.

“The goal of these changes is to make a better learning experience for the officials,” said Hearn. “When you have better officials, you have a better experience for the players and coaches.”