Be the Referee: Soccer Shootouts
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
October 18, 2022
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 Shootouts - Listen
It’s tournament time for boys soccer, and that means the return of the shootout. In the regular season, games can end in a tie. But postseason games need to have a winner. If a game is tied at the end of regulation and the 20-minute overtime period, we move to a shootout.
Each team gets five attempts from the penalty spot, alternating between teams. If after five attempts, the teams still remain tied, it moves to one kick for each team until the tie is broken.
Now what happens when a kick is stopped by the keeper but has enough spin on it to roll back across the goal line?
That’s a goal. A shootout attempt isn’t complete until the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play. Just because a goalie initially stops an attempt does not mean the play is over.
Previous Editions:
Oct. 11: Safety in End Zone - Listen
Oct. 4: Football Overtime Penalty - Listen
Sept. 27: Kickoff Goal - Listen
Sept. 20: Soccer Timing - Listen
Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change - Listen
What's My Why: Official Brady Driver
June 12, 2026
Brady Driver, Sturgis
Driver just completed his 20th year as an MHSAA-registered official. He has worked football, wrestling and boys lacrosse all 20 years, and also officiated basketball for six seasons and volleyball and girls lacrosse for one apiece.
One, the opportunity to continue interacting with athletics, and school districts, and sports, and being part of educational athletics.
Two, the thousands of student-athletes that I get to see grow up in and through sports and then go on to great things in their lives.
And then three, for me, to also be able to have the joy of building lifelong friendships with multiple officials across these three sports, and the opportunities to have been able to travel, in some cases across the United States to officiate, and also meeting some pretty incredible people through the circles of football, wrestling and lacrosse.
I would highly encourage, if you have a desire to stay involved and get the best seat in the house every time, every game, every night, to be an official. It’s one of the best things you’ll ever do.
“What’s My Why” is a weekly feature telling the stories of MHSAA-registered officials in their own words. If you’re an MHSAA official and would like to share your reason why, please submit a 15 to 45-second video, taken horizontally, to director of officials Sam Davis at [email protected].
Don't miss Officiate Michigan Day 2026, July 25 in Grand Rapids! Check out MHSAA.com/OMD to register and learn more.
What's My Why
June 8: Cindy Tyzo, West Bloomfield - Watch
June 3: Jeff Spedoske, DeWitt - Watch
June 1: Mike Carrier, Commerce Township - Watch
May 27: Stan Wright, Warren - Watch
May 26: Murray Rose, Zeeland - Watch
May 22: Mike VanLaan, Alto - Watch
May 18: Clint Abbott, Newaygo - Watch