The referee training courses for the coming season took place in Füssen from July 27th to 29th, 2018 and in Erfurt from August 10th to 12th, 2018. As in previous years, the extensive tests that all referees complete to obtain their licenses were carried out in Füssen. Beforehand, the referees had to complete a lactate test at an Olympic training center and present this as proof of fitness.
Due to the extensive modifications to the IIHF Rulebook, the new rules were explained to the referees in Erfurt in extensive training sessions by the Referee Committee of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB). Since the rule book contains not only many changes to the actual rules but also an almost completely new structure, extensive presentations were prepared and presented. One of the speakers was Dr. Anja Martin from the law firm SportsLawyer. The German Ice Hockey League (DEL) has been working with the law firm on a preventive basis for years. An anti-manipulation guideline was already adopted last season as part of the cooperation. During the guest lecture, Dr. Anja Martin discussed the international structures of sports betting providers and made recommendations for action. The DEL plays a pioneering role in European ice hockey.
As part of the season review, the DEL final referees were honored for their achievements and received warm applause from the entire referee crew. The referees are well prepared to introduce the new rules to the teams and are looking forward to the new challenges.