Be the Referee: Soccer Timing
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
September 20, 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 Timing - Listen
One of the biggest complaints people make about professional soccer is never knowing how much time is really left in the game. The clock counts up from zero, and the referee can add time at their discretion.
But that’s not the case in high school soccer.
To start with, halves are 40 minutes, not 45. The clock starts at 40 and counts down. And when players are injured and the ball is not in play, the clock will stop and then restart when action is ready to continue.
In the last five minutes of the game, the clock stops for substitutions by the leading team, so a coach can’t stall by sending in a new player. When the clock hits zero and the buzzer sounds … the game is over. There’s no guessing how much added time there is – the end of the game is the end of the game.
Previous Editions:
Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change - Listen
Be the Referee: Golf Ball Bounces Out
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
August 26, 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 – Golf Ball Bounces Out - Listen
Let’s talk about a very unlikely – but also very fun – possibility on the golf course today.
Golfer 1 is playing their approach shot first, from about 100 yards out. Their shot takes two bounces on the green and rolls straight into the hole for an eagle. What a shot!
Golfer 2 is next and has a shot from about 80 yards out. Again, after a couple of bounces, it’s rolling straight for the hole. It rolls into the cup, but because the first ball is still in there, it hops out and comes to a stop about three feet away.
What’s the ruling?
It’s still an eagle for the first golfer. But the second now has to putt from three feet out. There’s no penalty, but the ball is to be played as it lies. Hopefully the birdie putt is good.