Be the Referee: Ski Gates
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
January 27, 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 – Ski Gates - Listen
Let’s talk about the Hike Rule today. No, that’s not when the center snaps the ball to the quarterback. The Hike Rule is used in skiing when an athlete misses a gate or pole.
If a skier misses a gate – the fastest way to fix this fault is by hiking up to loop the missed pole in either direction. You don’t necessarily have to go back to your original line and correct your path – you can hike the shortest route possible to allow you to correctly pass through the gate.
In flushes and hairpins – if you miss gate 2 but make gate 3 – you only need to hike back to gate 2 and pass it correctly and then go on to gate 4. You do not need to pass gate 3 a second time.
Previous 2025-26 editions
Jan. 20: Cheer Judges - Listen
Jan. 13: Basketball Over the Back - Listen
Jan. 6: Bowling Ball Bounces Out of Gutter - Listen
Dec. 9: Puck on Goal Netting - Listen
Dec. 2: Goaltending vs. Basket Interference - Listen
Nov. 25: Football Finals Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 18: Volleyball Libero Uniforms - Listen
Nov. 11: Illegal Substitution/Participation - Listen
Nov. 4: Losing a Shoe - Listen
Oct. 28: Unusual Soccer Goals - Listen
Oct. 21: Field Hockey Penalty Stroke - Listen
Oct. 14: Tennis Double Hit - Listen
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
Be the Referee: Wrestling Inspections
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
January 27, 2022
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 – Wrestling Inspections - Listen
Before every individual or team wrestling event, each participant must be inspected by the referee or other authorized personnel. They are looking for any skin infections or evidence of a communicable disease.
A typical inspection will check a wrestler’s mouth for braces, fingernails, hairlines, underarms, back/shoulder area, behind the knee and more.
All inspections are done in the same manner for all wrestlers at a tournament site, both male and female wrestlers. Inspections generally should take place in an area not readily visible by the public because of modesty concerns for the wrestlers.
No wrestler is allowed to compete until they have gone through and passed the inspection.
Skin inspections are done with the goal of keeping all participants as safe as possible and preventing the spread of contagious skin conditions.
Previous editions
Dec. 16: Ball Over Backboard - Listen
Dec. 9: Winter Officials Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 26: Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 11: Tourney Selection - Listen
Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone – Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block – Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal – Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short – Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction – Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch – Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics – Listen