Be the Referee: Clocking From Shotgun
September 24, 2020
This week, MHSAA Assistant Director Brent Rice explains a change in football that gives teams another way to stop the clock while on offense.
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 - Clocking the Ball from the Shotgun - Listen
One of the other visible rules changes taking place this year in football pertains to the quarterback spiking the ball into the ground after receiving the snap from center in an attempt to stop the clock.
Previously, clocking the ball in an effort to preserve time could only be done from a traditional hand-to-hand snap from the center to the quarterback – which actually worked to the disadvantage of teams which run shotgun formations all the time.
The rules change allows the quarterback from a shotgun formation to immediately spike the ball into the ground after receiving it to stop the clock with an incomplete pass, bringing the high school rule in line with the college and professional rules.
What's My Why: Official Jarrett Skorup
June 17, 2026
Jarrett Skorup, Midland
Skorup has served as an MHSAA-registered official on the wrestling mat the last 16 seasons and added soccer over the last two school years.
I started wrestling when I was 4 or 5 years old. I had a father who was a coach for 33 years and then became an official. So I love continuing that legacy with our family. I have a son now who is almost in high school, and he was my towel tapper for many years, and he talks all the time about wanting to become an official.
I’ve been doing it for about 15 years. I really particularly love when you get one of these matches, where it’s two kids, maybe they’re newer, but they give it their all, their teammates are involved in the match, they have a great close match, and they get done and they have a lot of respect for each other. So I love staying involved in the sport, and I love seeing kids grow through it and become better men and better women.
“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 12: Brady Driver, Sturgis - Watch
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