Be the Referee: Fumble Out of Bounds
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
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.)
2022 Officials Awards Again Honors Hundreds Who Make Our Games Possible
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
July 15, 2022
The MHSAA annually honors high school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50 years of service as part of its Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet.
This year's virtual banquet honored our Vern L. Norris and Randy Paulson Award winners and 395 officials who celebrated a milestone school year.
This year's honorees included two officials with 60 years of service, and eight celebrating 55 years. Eighteen officials with 50 years of service were honored, along with 44 officials with 45 years. A 40-year award has been presented to 54 officials. In addition, 98 officials with 30 years and 171 officials with 20 years of experience were honored.