Be the Referee: Dead Ball Penalty
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
September 15, 2026
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 – Dead Ball Penalty - Listen
We’ve got 4th-and-10 on the football field today. Team A has the ball on their own 40 and is going for it.
The quarterback scrambles and is pushed out of bounds at the 49-yard line, one yard short of a first down.
A defensive player from Team B hits the quarterback after he’s been pushed out of bounds and is flagged for a dead-ball personal foul. Where should the ball be marked and who has possession?
Is it 1st-and-10 for Team A at Team B’s 36-yard line? Or does the defense get the ball, 1st-and-10 for Team B at their own 36?
If you said Team B’s ball, you are correct. The personal foul was a dead-ball penalty that is enforced after the change of possession.
Previous 2026-27 editions
Sept. 8: Libero Ejected - Listen
Sept. 1: Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen
Unforgettable 5ive: 2021 Football Week 9
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
October 28, 2021
Here's a look at our Week 9 "Unforgettable 5ive" from MHSAA.tv and MHSAA media partner broadcasts:
► Joe Waller scores the two-point conversion in the final seconds, giving Muskegon Catholic Central a 30-28 win over Muskegon Oakridge.
► Cody Britt goes 64 yards for the Gibraltar Carlson score in a 28-14 win over Brownstown Woodhaven.
► Carter Sherman scores the winning touchdown for East Jordan in a 22-18 victory over Frankfort.
► River Rouge QB Christian Johnson scores on the two-point conversion with less than 30 seconds left in a 45-44 comeback win over Southfield Arts & Technology.
► Holt's first offensive play is a 90-yard Ralph Thompson touchdown run – as the Rams went on to defeat Grand Ledge 34-6.