IHM Academy
Game Management Lesson 178: Managing a Game With Inconsistent Officiating
Coach Answer
When officiating feels inconsistent, coach the behaviour you can control. Adjust risk around contact and stick use, but do not let the bench spend the game trying to predict every whistle.
Why This Matters in a Real Game
Managing a Game With Inconsistent Officiating matters because players have only seconds to process bench information before they return to live play. Good communication reduces confusion, controls emotion and keeps the next shift connected to what the game actually needs.
What the Coach Is Reading
- Player emotion
- Penalty risk
- Score and time
- Whether the official is available for a useful conversation
- Whether the bench is still focused on the next shift
The Decision Rule
Give the smallest clear message that improves the next shift.
How It Plays Out
The threshold for contact seems to change during the game. The coach tells players to reduce avoidable stick contact and keep competing rather than guessing which call comes next.
What Changes the Decision?
- Score and time remaining
- Player personality and emotional state
- How much time exists before the next shift
- Whether the problem affects one player or the whole bench
- Penalty and officiating context
Common Bench Mistake
Making the bench conversation about the previous event instead of the next decision.
Edge Case
Context can change the normal rule. Player personality, game state, penalty history and team culture all affect how the same message should be delivered.
Mark Lehtonen Insight
The best bench communication is rarely the longest. A coach should give players the minimum information needed to make the next good decision, then let them play the game.
Quick Q&A
What is the main idea behind managing a game with inconsistent officiating?
When officiating feels inconsistent, coach the behaviour you can control. Adjust risk around contact and stick use, but do not let the bench spend the game trying to predict every whistle.
What should the coach read first?
Read the bench's attention and emotional state before deciding whether players need information, energy, correction or silence.
What is the decision rule?
Give the smallest clear message that improves the next shift.
Should every mistake be corrected immediately?
No. Correct what the player needs for the next shift; save lower-priority detail for a better teaching moment.
What is the goal of bench communication?
To improve the next decision without creating extra confusion, fear or emotional noise.
Key Takeaways
- When officiating feels inconsistent, coach the behaviour you can control. Adjust risk around contact and stick use, but do not let the bench spend the game trying to predict every whistle.
- Give the smallest clear message that improves the next shift.
- Bench communication should point forward, not keep replaying the previous event.
- Emotion is useful only while decision quality stays intact.
- Players should leave the bench knowing exactly what matters next.