Be The Referee: Alternating Possession

December 18, 2019

This week, MHSAA assistant director Brent Rice offers a "You Make the Call" regarding alternate possession, or lack thereof, on the basketball court. 

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 - Alternating Possession - Listen

With the basketball season now underway, let’s test your rules knowledge with this "You Make The Call." 

A game starts with the jump ball. The possession arrow gets set after one team establishes possession. However, on this jump ball, a player for each team tangles for the rock and creates a held-ball situation. You make the call. Remember, alternate possession does not apply yet.

In this case of dual possession of the original jump ball, without the possession arrow being set, a second jump ball of the two players involved is the result, and the game clock does not reset to the beginning of the period.

Past editions

Dec. 12: Ratings - Listen
Dec. 5: Video Review Success - Listen
Nov. 28: 
More Injury Time - Listen
Nov. 21: Football Review - Listen
Nov. 14: Sideline Safety - Listen
Nov. 7: Officials Playlist - Listen
Oct. 31: Most Important Line - Listen
Oct. 24: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Oct. 17: Catch Momentum - Listen
Oct. 10: Golf Rules Changes - Listen
Oct. 3: No Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 26: You Make the Overtime Call - Listen
Sept. 19: Swimming Finishing Touch - Listen
Sept. 12: Curbing Gamesmanship By Substitution - Listen
Sept. 5: Football Safety Rules Changes - Listen
Aug. 29: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen

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