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
Performance of the Week: Howard City Tri County's Savanah Thompson
May 7, 2026
Savanah Thompson ♦ Howard City Tri County
Senior ♦ Soccer
The four-year varsity standout, became just the fourth player in MHSAA girls soccer history to score 200 goals, reaching the milestone during a seven-goal performance against Lakeview on April 29. She reached 200 on her first goal of the evening and needs only 10 more to break the MHSAA career record of 228 set by Leland's Libby Munoz from 2013-16.
Thompson set her school's single-season goals record first as a sophomore and again as a junior, with her 67 goals last season ranking eighth and her 65 in 2024 tied for 10th on the MHSAA single-season goals list. A first-team all-stater as a sophomore and honorable mention last spring, Thompson has extended a family sports legacy at her school that includes her dad Mike, a Finals wrestling champion in 1994, and uncle Dan Thompson, who won three Finals titles on the mat. Savanah also played two seasons of basketball and ran two of track, and she'll continue her soccer career at Saginaw Valley State University where she'll study toward eventually becoming a nurse practitioner. Tri County is 10-3-1 this season and a combined 57-21-4 during her four on varsity.
@mhsaasports ⚽️POW: Savanah Thompson #tricounty #soccer #highschoolsports #performanceoftheweek #MHSAA ♬ Bright and fun upbeat pops, Kids, Animals, Pets, Fun, Cute, Happy, Playful, Upbeat(1465232) - SAKUMAMATATA
@mhsaasports ⚽️POW: Savanah Thompson #funfacts #tiktalk #performanceoftheweek #highschoolsports #MHSAA ♬ Girly and cute synth pop - SAKUMAMATATA
Follow the MHSAA on TikTok.
MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
Previous 2025-26 honorees
April 30: Eliza Schwass, Ludington track - Report
April 23: Emily Postema, Ravenna softball - Report
April 16: Katie Berkshire, Gaylord track - Report
March 26: Kayla Hairston, Goodrich basketball - Report
March 19: Liam Smith, Otsego swimming - Report
March 12: Jack Sayen, Houghton hockey - Report
March 5: Devin Patrick, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - Report
Feb. 26: Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell wrestling - Report
Feb. 20: Sophie Ramey, Allen Park competitive cheer - Report
Feb. 13: Cam Ryans, Grand Rapids Northview basketball - Report
Feb. 6: Melanie Kolnitys, Midland Dow basketball - Report
Jan. 29: Stella Musialowski, Huron Valley United gymnastics - Report
Jan. 22: Baylor Perkins, Grand Blanc swimming - Report
Jan. 15: Delaney Vanier, Flint Kearsley bowling - Report
Jan. 8: Stevie Hall, Detroit Cass Tech basketball - Report
Dec. 18: Ethan Martha, Ishpeming Westwood basketball - Report
Dec. 11: Louis Smith, Three Rivers wrestling - Report
Dec. 4: Traverse Moore, DeWitt football - Report
Nov. 28: Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield swimming - Report
Nov. 20: Brady Kieff, Blanchard Montabella football - Report
Nov. 13: Ella Laupp, Battle Creek Harper Creek swimming - Report
Nov. 7: Hunter Eaton, Charlevoix cross country - Report
Oct. 31: Stephen Gollapalli, Lansing Christian tennis - Report
Oct. 23: Talya Schreiber, Pickford cross country - Report
Oct. 16: Avery Manning, Dexter golf - Report
Oct. 9: Brady Van Laecke, Hudsonville football - Report
Oct. 2: Sarah Giroux, Flat Rock volleyball - Report
Sept. 25: Sam Schumacher, Portage Central tennis - Report
Sept. 18: Kaylee Mitzel, Saline field hockey - Report
Sept. 11: Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report
Sept. 4: Kate Posey, Big Rapids golf - Report
(Photos courtesy of the Tri County athletic department.)