Whenever possible, Norhoa schedules games 2-6 weeks in advance. The Leagues are constantly adding, deleting and changing their schedule. It is recommended by the 15th of each month,
officials provide their available dates and times for the following month. (See below for a list of other factors the schedulers consider when assigning games). Please change your availability as often as your life changes, to avoid cancellation fees.
In some cases, scheduling more than 2 weeks out is not possible: for example, at the beginning of each season when some leagues are still finalizing their schedules, or for tournaments. Some leagues (particularly NorCal youth) schedule games on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Also, during the month, schedule changes are sometimes needed. This can happen when an official cancels an assignment, or when a league adds a game. In these cases, the schedulers may assign the games to an available official, or they may post games as "available".
Schedulers will attempt to schedule games using Officials who have availability which matches the needs of the scheduler. It is to your advantage to keep your availability as accurate as possible.
If your availability is restricted, you will receive fewer assignments, more availability, more assignments.
Players, please note: if you have told the web site what team you play on, you must still update your availability to block out the times you are playing.
Also, you need to update your availability to reflect team practices and other events schedulers do not know about.
Bottom line, make sure your AVAILABILITY reflects when you are available to officiate!
Schedulers will sometimes post "available" games on the website. If you are signed up for the email, you will receive an email
informing you of the available game(s). Those who want the assignment can go online and request the game(s).
When you are assigned a game, you will receive an email, and the assignment will be posted on the Norhoa web site. In addition, officials will receive a reminder email on the day before the assignment (unless they have disabled this feature).
It is important that you check your email at least once every 2-3 days: otherwise, you might miss a scheduled assignment.
Keep in mind, missed games can result in being offered fewer assignments. (If you are assigned a game that is less than 72 hours away, the scheduler will get your acknowledgement by phone unless he sees that you have visited the web site since the game was assigned to you.)
NOTE: While Norhoa will send out email notifications and reminders, email delivery is not always reliable for reasons that are largely beyond our control. Items such as spam filtering by the receiving email server may cause emails to go unread.
You are responsible for checking the website periodically to make sure you do not miss assignments. In accordance with our 72 hour notification policy, a login once every couple of days should suffice to make sure you know of all schedule changes ahead of time.
If an official is missing for a game in progress, someone must immediately phone the scheduler. (Often you can ask a rink employee to do that, so you don't delay the game further.) If another official is present whom Norhoa considers eligible for the game in question, that official may replace the missing official. At that point the missing official has forfeited the games; if he arrives later, it is the replacement official's choice whether to finish the game(s) or to allow the late official to take over.
If no replacement official is available, the remaining official(s) are encouraged to work the game without the missing official. (They will be paid appropriately, as long as the scheduler has been called.) If the game gets out of hand and the remaining official(s) feel that they are unable to work the game without their missing partner, they may suspend the game, but this should be done only as a last resort in extreme cases.
Working a game short-handed is never pleasant and sometimes disastrous. If your personal schedule permits, when you finish your game assignments for the day, it is good form for you to wait to see if all of the incoming officials show up for the following game. If not, and if you are eligible, you can volunteer to take a missing official's place and thereby save a fellow official from an unpleasant experience.