Football Finals updated

February 16, 2012

Check out our updated Championship Game records with everything from the 2011 Finals, including our first categories for 8-player football.

Among things that stick out from this past season's games:

  • The Division 5 Flint Powers Catholic/Lansing Catholic game easily provided the most entries from this season and stacks up among the MHSAA's most offense-heavy Finals ever.
  • Orchard Lake St. Mary and Saginaw Nouvel had two of the best running games in Finals history.
  • Former Ithaca quarterback Alex Niznak is all over the record book for his accomplishments in the 2010 Division 6 Final. But last season's QB Travis Smith now has nearly as significant a presence after a big-time 2011 performance.

Click Record Book, and let me know at the end of the day if I've missed something. Make sure to click on "Championship Game Records." Additional updates to regular-season and career lists are on the way. 

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