Be the Referee: Fumble Out of Bounds
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
August 25, 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 – Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen
We are on the football field today, where the offense has the ball on their own 20-yard line. It’s 3rd-and 10. They run a draw play, with the running back gaining nine yards before fumbling at the 29 yard-line.
The fumbled ball goes forward to the 35-yard line before another offensive player recovers. Where should the ball be marked?
Because the ball was recovered in-bounds, it’s first down for the offense at the point of recovery, the 35-yard line.
If the ball had rolled out of bounds at the 35-yard line, before anyone could recover it, it would have been brought back to the spot of the fumble – the 29-yard line – making it 4th-and-1 for the offense.
(Photo by Larry Arreguin/Team Arreguin Photos.)
Be the Referee: Bowling Ball Bounces Out of Gutter
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
January 6, 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 – Bowling Ball Bounces Out of Gutter - Listen
We’ve got a bowling ball in our hands today – and we’re ready to deliver our first ball of the third frame.
It’s not a great roll, but it’s a powerful one. The ball goes into the gutter but bounces out and then knocks over seven pins.
Lucky break, right?
Not exactly. Once the ball is in the gutter, it’s a dead ball. Any pins knocked down by the ball’s return don’t count. If it happens on the first delivery, the pins knocked down by the rebound are reset for the second delivery.
Now if a pin bounces completely out of the pit area and returns to knock down any standing pins, that counts.
But if your ball goes into the gutter, that’s it – you can’t count any pins knocked down if the ball bounces out.
Previous 2025-26 editions
Dec. 9: Puck on Goal Netting - Listen
Dec. 2: Goaltending vs. Basket Interference - Listen
Nov. 25: Football Finals Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 18: Volleyball Libero Uniforms - Listen
Nov. 11: Illegal Substitution/Participation - Listen
Nov. 4: Losing a Shoe - Listen
Oct. 28: Unusual Soccer Goals - Listen
Oct. 21: Field Hockey Penalty Stroke - Listen
Oct. 14: Tennis Double Hit - Listen
Oct. 7: Safety in Football - Listen
Sept. 30: Field Hockey Substitution - Listen
Sept 23: Multiple Contacts in Volleyball - Listen
Sept. 16: Soccer Penalty Kick - Listen
Sept. 9: Forward Fumble - Listen
Sept. 2: Field Hockey Basics - Listen
Aug. 26: Golf Ball Bounces Out - Listen