Be the Referee: 3 Seconds

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

January 9, 2024

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 – 3 Seconds - Listen

If a basketball team has a good post player, you’ll usually hear the opposing crowd call for “three seconds.” But what is “three seconds,” and when should it be called?

A three-second violation occurs when a player is in the lane for more than three seconds. But it’s not always that easy. First, a player can leave the lane and then re-establish position, re-setting the three-second clock. To establish position outside the lane, the player must have both feet on the playing surface, outside of the lane. It won’t reset the count if it’s one foot outside the lane and the other foot in the air.

Also, during a throw-in or while dribbling, attempting a shot, or rebounding, there is no three-second count. The count does not start again until the offense has control of the ball in the frontcourt.

Previous Editions

Dec. 19: Unsuspecting Hockey Hits - Listen
Dec. 12: No More One-And-Ones - Listen
Nov. 21: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 14: Volleyball Unplayable Areas - Listen
Nov. 7: Pass/Kick Off Crossbar - Listen
Oct. 31: Cross Country Interference - Listen
Oct. 24: Soccer Overtime - Listen
Oct. 17: Tennis Spin - Listen
Oct. 10: Blocked Kick - Listen
Oct. 3: Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
Sept. 26: Registration Process - Listen
Sept. 20: Animal Interference - Listen
Sept. 13: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen

Performance of the Week: Harbor Springs' Olivia Flynn

January 24, 2025

Olivia Flynn headshotOlivia Flynn ♦ Harbor Springs
Senior ♦ Basketball

Flynn became the 34th player in Michigan girls basketball history to reach 2,000 career points, doing so during the second quarter of her team’s Jan. 14 victory over Cheboygan. The Western Michigan signee entered the game with 1,980 points since joining the varsity as a freshman, and she scored 27 points during the first half and 33 for the game.

The 5-foot-9 point guard has made the Division 3 all-state first team after all of her first three seasons and has led Harbor Springs to a combined 66-13 record, including a 9-2 start this winter. In addition to becoming her school’s all-time leading scorer as a junior, she finished just a few rebounds and assists per game shy of averaging a triple-double. Flynn also runs track and was part of a 3,200 relay as a sophomore in 2023 that finished third at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals.

@mhsaasports 🏀POW: Olivia Flynn #2000points #basketball #harborsprings #buckets #part1 #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA

@mhsaasports 🏀POW: Olivia Flynn #chickfila #notebook #caitlynclark #teleport #mushrooms #laughingcryingemoji #part2 #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

Follow the MHSAA on TikTok.

MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.

Previous 2024-25 honorees

Jan. 17: Levi Rozema, Holland Christian swimming - Report
Jan. 10:
McRecco McFadden, Burton Bentley basketball - Report
Dec. 18:
Nash Leonard, Bay City Western hockey - Report
Dec. 11:
Blake Cosby, Dundee wrestling - Report
Dec. 4:
Keaton Hendricks, Zeeland West football - Report
Nov. 29:
Kate Simon, East Grand Rapids swimming - Report
Nov. 22:
Ella Kokaly, Essexville Garber volleyball - Report
Nov. 15:
Caroline Bryan, Grosse Pointe South swimming - Report
Nov. 8:
Kaylie Livingston, Whitmore Lake cross country - Report
Oct. 25:
Oliver Caldwell, Grand Rapids West Catholic tennis - Report
Oct. 18:
Alex Graham, Detroit Cass Tech football - Report
Oct. 11:
Victoria Garces, Midland Dow cross country - Report
Oct. 4:
Asher Clark, Bay City John Glenn soccer - Report
Sept. 26:
Campbell Flynn, Farmington Hills Mercy volleyball - Report
Sept. 19:
TJ Hansen, Freeland cross country - Report
Sept. 12:
Jordan Peters, Grayling soccer - Report
Sept. 6:
Gabe Litzner, Sault Ste. Marie cross country - Report
Aug. 30:
Grace Slocum, Traverse City St. Francis golf - Report

(Photos courtesy of the Flynn family.)