Be the Referee: Soccer Advantage
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
October 13, 2026
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 – Soccer Advantage - Listen
We’re on the soccer field today, where Team A has possession. A player from Team A is carelessly tackled by a Team B player in the middle of the field. The referee applies advantage because the fouled player quickly gets up and retains possession. However, a Team B defender intercepts the ball and kicks it out of bounds. What’s the call?
- Is it a throw-in for Team A since Team B kicked it out?
- Is it a free kick for Team A at the point of the foul?
- Or is it a free kick for Team A and a caution to Team B for kicking the ball away?
If you said a free kick for Team A at the point of the foul, you are correct. Advantage allows officials to keep play moving when the fouled team benefits from continuing. Here, that advantage never materialized, so the referee goes back to the original foul.
Previous 2026-27 editions
Oct. 6: Defensive Holding - Listen
Sept. 29: Minimum Number of Volleyball Players - Listen
Sept 22: Soccer Changes - Listen
Sept: 15: Dead Ball Penalty - Listen
Sept. 8: Libero Ejected - Listen
Sept. 1: Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen
Be the Referee: Volleyball Double & Lift
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
October 3, 2023
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 – Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
You’re sitting at a volleyball match and hear parents in the stands yell “Double!” or “Lift!”
What do those terms mean, and why are they yelling them?
Double refers to double contact. That’s when a player hits the ball twice in a row or if the ball touches two parts of the player’s body in succession. If a setter hits the ball with one hand then the other – even if immediate, it’s a double. She needs to set with both hands at the same time.
A lift is when the player, typically a setter, has prolonged contact with the ball that results in throwing or re-directing the ball back into play. The ball doesn’t rebound off the player's fingers or hands, but is directed by the player.
The official on the stand at the net is in the best position to notice these fouls.
Previous Editions
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
(PHOTO by Gary Shook.)