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: Catch or No Catch

By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director

September 16, 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 – Catch or No Catch - Listen

Catch … or no catch. It’s a decision that must be made in a split second and can be one of the most difficult decisions a football official has to make – especially one along the sidelines.

In high school, for a catch to be considered complete the receiver must:

Have possession and control of the ball AND

One foot or other body part must first come down in bounds.

This means that if you are forced out of bounds while in the air and with possession of the ball, it is NOT a catch. A defender can legally knock an airborne receiver out of bounds to prevent a completion. The receiver has to get one foot – or other body part – down in bounds for it to be ruled a complete catch.

Previous editions

Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen 
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen 
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics  Listen