Be the Referee: Bowling Ball Rules
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
December 17, 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 – Bowling Ball Rules - Listen
We’re bowling today, and the question is: Can a bowler use a bowling ball with no holes?
The answer is yes – but there are some rules around it.
A ball with no holes would have to follow static balance rules. If the ball weighs more than 10 pounds, it may not have more than three ounces of difference between any two halves of the ball.
Additionally, there needs to be a plus sign (+) engraved on the ball where the bowler will place their dominant hand if the ball has more than a three-quarter ounce imbalance between any two halves of the ball.
If there is no imbalance, the plus sign is not needed, and the bowler can place their dominant hand anywhere on the bowling ball they like.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
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
(MHSAA file photo.)
Be the Referee: Tennis Double Hit
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
October 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 – Tennis Double Hit - Listen
We’re on the tennis court today, returning a ball that our opponent has hit.
We swing, hitting the ball with the strings and then again with the frame of the racket as our swing continues.
The double-hit ball goes over the net and bounces past our opponent for a point. Or is it our point? Can you hit the ball twice?
You can, if it’s all part of one continuous swing. You can hit the ball more than twice even – as long as it’s the same swing.
You can’t intentionally hit the ball twice or hit the ball and then re-hit it. It’s illegal if you deliberately catch or carry the ball and then hit it again.
But if your double-hit is part of one smooth swing, the stroke counts and play continues.
Previous 2025-26 editions
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