Be the Referee: Avoiding the Tag
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
May 14, 2024
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Avoiding the Tag - Listen
We’re on the baseball diamond today where we’ve got a runner on second with one out.
The batter hits a ground ball that gets through the infield and the runner makes the turn at third, attempting to score. The throw comes in ahead of him, and as he nears home plate he dives head-first over the catcher, avoiding the tag, and touches home plate.
Is this legal?
It is not.
Runners are not required to slide. They can jump or hurdle a fielder if the fielder is lying on the ground. And they can jump over an outstretched arm attempting to make a tag. But diving over a fielder is illegal. The runner is out.
If no contact is made between the runner and fielder, the ball remains live, unless interference is called. If contact is made, the ball becomes dead.
Previous Editions
May 7: Baseball Pitch Count - Listen
April 30: Boys Lacrosse Helmets - Listen
April 23: Softball Interference - Listen
April 16: Soccer Red Card - Listen
April 9: Batted Baseball Hits Runner - Listen
March 12: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 5: Hockey Officials - Listen
Feb. 27: Less Than 5 - Listen
Feb. 20: Air Ball - Listen
Feb. 13: Hockey Penalties - Listen
Jan. 30: Wrestling Tiebreakers - Listen
Jan. 23: Wrestling Technology - Listen
Jan. 9: 3 Seconds - Listen
Dec. 19: Unsuspecting Hockey Hits - Listen
Dec. 12: No More One-And-Ones - Listen
Nov. 21: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 14: Volleyball Unplayable Areas - Listen
Nov. 7: Pass/Kick Off Crossbar - Listen
Oct. 31: Cross Country Interference - Listen
Oct. 24: Soccer Overtime - Listen
Oct. 17: Tennis Spin - Listen
Oct. 10: Blocked Kick - Listen
Oct. 3: Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
Sept. 26: Registration Process - Listen
Sept. 20: Animal Interference - Listen
Sept. 13: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen
(PHOTOS by Gary Shook.)
Be the Referee: Unusual Soccer Goals
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
October 28, 2025
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Unusual Soccer Goals - Listen
We’re talking some unusual ways to score soccer goals today.
It doesn’t happen often, but a team can score directly from a corner kick or the kickoff.
But what if it’s a goalie, down in their own end, who somehow throws the ball 80 yards or so and into the back of the other team’s net. Does that count?
It does not. A keeper cannot score for his own team by throwing the ball the length of the field and into his opponent’s goal.
If this were to happen, the defending team would receive a goal kick.
But if the keeper accidentally throws the ball into his own net, then it does count as a goal for the opponent.
You don’t always need your feet to score a goal in soccer.
Previous 2025-26 editions
Oct. 21: Field Hockey Penalty Stroke - Listen
Oct. 14: Tennis Double Hit - Listen
Oct. 7: Safety in Football - Listen
Sept. 30: Field Hockey Substitution - Listen
Sept 23: Multiple Contacts in Volleyball - Listen
Sept. 16: Soccer Penalty Kick - Listen
Sept. 9: Forward Fumble - Listen
Sept. 2: Field Hockey Basics - Listen
Aug. 26: Golf Ball Bounces Out - Listen