Be the Referee: Football Rules Changes
September 5, 2019
This week, MHSAA Assistant Director Brent Rice discusses a pair of football rules changes made the enhance safety.
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 - Football Safety Rules Changes - Listen
Among our football rules changes for this year are two which involve player safety.
The foul for tripping has been expanded to include a trip on the ball carrier. Intentionally tripping any player on the field – using the lower leg or foot to obstruct an opponent below the knees – will result in a 15-yard penalty.
And the definition of a horse-collar tackle has been expanded to include bringing down a runner backwards or sideways by grabbing the nameplate area on the back of the jersey – or inside the neck area of the jersey or shoulder plate. The penalty for a horse-collar tackle is 15 yards.
Past editions
Aug. 29: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen
Be the Referee: Fixed Obstruction in Tennis
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
May 21, 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 – Fixed Obstruction in Tennis - Listen
We’re playing tennis today and due to the rain outside, we’ve moved our match to an indoor court. In the second set, after a couple of volleys, I’m forced to retreat to the back line and hit a high lob shot. Too high in fact … as the ball hits the ceiling and then comes down on my opponent’s side of the net.
What should happen next?
Should my opponent play the ball as they normally would? My shot landed on their side, so it doesn’t matter if it hit the ceiling?
Or, do I lose a point because my shot hit the ceiling?
In tennis, if a ball touches a permanent fixture, like the ceiling, before hitting the proper court, the player who hit the ball loses the point.
In this case, I lose the point since it was my shot hitting the ceiling.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
May 13: Golf Cart Path Roll - Listen
May 6: Illegal Softball Bats - Listen
April 30: Golf Relief - Listen
April 22: Soccer Scoring Area Penalty - Listen
April 15: Fair or Foul? - Listen
April 8: Girls Lacrosse New Stoppage Rule - Listen
April 1: Base Runner Interference - Listen
March 25: Pine Tar Usage - Listen
March 11: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 4: Gymnastics Deduction - Listen
Feb. 25: Competitive Cheer Inversion - Listen
Feb. 18: Ice Hockey Delay of Game - Listen
Feb. 11: Ski Helmets - Listen
Feb. 4: Wrestling In Bounds or Out? - Listen
Jan. 21: Block or Charge? - Listen
Jan. 14: Out of Bounds, In Play - Listen
Jan. 7: Wrestling Scoring - Listen
Dec. 17: Bowling Ball Rules - Listen
Dec. 10: Neck Laceration Protector - Listen
Dec. 3: Basketball Goaltending - Listen
Nov. 26: 11-Player Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 19: 8-Player vs. 11-Player Football - Listen
Nov. 12: Back Row Setter - Listen
Nov. 5: Football OT - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Registration - Listen
Oct. 22: Volleyball Serve - Listen
Oct. 15: "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen
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