Be the Referee: Out of Bounds, In Play
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
January 14, 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 – Out of Bounds, In Play - Listen
We’re on the basketball court today for a “You Make the Call.”
Players from Team A and Team B are running down the sideline, chasing after a loose ball. While trying to get around his opponent, Player A’s momentum takes him out of bounds for two or three steps. He then steps back inbounds and grabs the ball. Is this legal?
Yes, it is legal – provided the player establishes position inbounds before touching the ball. A player may step out of bounds, but as long as they establish themselves inbounds before touching the ball, they can legally play the ball.
If the player were to touch the ball while still out of bounds, however, the play would be whistled dead, and possession would be awarded to the opposing team.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
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
(Photo by John Johnson.)
Performance of the Week: Harbor Springs' Olivia Flynn
January 24, 2025
Olivia 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
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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.)