Be the Referee: You Make the Call - Soccer Offside

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

October 15, 2024

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 – "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen

We’ve got a soccer “You Make the Call” today.

Team A has a player – number 9 – in offside position.

Team A’s number 1 takes a shot on goal that hits the crossbar and deflects right to number 9. The player collects the ricochet, shoots and scores.

What’s the call?

  • Goal is awarded because the ball deflected to number 9?
  • No goal because number 9 was in an offside position and gained an advantage for being in the offside position?
  • Or – Caution number 9 for being offsides and interfering with the play?

If you said “no goal because number 9 was offsides and gained an advantage,” you are correct.

Play would restart with an indirect free kick for Team B from where the ball was played by number 9 of Team A.

Previous 2024-25 Editions

Oct. 8: Roughing the Passer - Listen
Oct. 1: Abnormal Course Condition - Listen
Sept. 25: Tennis Nets - Listen
Sept. 18:
 Libero - Listen
Sept. 10:
 Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen

(Photo by Adam Sheehan.)

Be the Referee: Tourney Selection

By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director

November 18, 2021

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 – Tourney Selection - Listen

Today we are going to talk about how officials are selected for the MHSAA Football Playoffs. Just as the best teams advance in the tournament week after week, the best officiating crews advance in the tournament in much the same way.

For a crew to be eligible for assignment, many requirements have to be met prior to the season – submission of their season schedule, making sure that the crew has completed the annual rules meeting, as well as a football rules test. Much weight is given to ratings – each crew is rated by schools following each game as well as observation reports where officiating experts go out and either watch crews work live or on video in making sure that the best crews advance throughout the tournament.

Previous editions

Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch  Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen 
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen 
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics 
 Listen