Be the Referee: Soccer Scoring Area Penalty
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
April 22, 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 – Soccer Scoring Area Penalty - Listen
Let’s head out to the soccer field today for a “You Make the Call.”
Team A has possession of the ball inside Team B’s penalty area. Team A’s No. 9 makes a move to free herself and has some open space to get closer before attempting a shot.
As she dribbles forward, a defender for Team B rushes in and grabs her by the shoulder in an attempt to slow her down and ruin the goal-scoring opportunity.
What’s the call?
Because the defender made no attempt to play the ball, it’s a penalty kick for Team A and a yellow card for the Team B defender.
Had she made a play at the ball, it would have been just a penalty kick with no yellow card.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
April 15: Fair or Foul? - Listen
April 8: Girls Lacrosse New Stoppage Rule - Listen
April 1: Base Runner Interference - Listen
March 25: Pine Tar Usage - Listen
March 11: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 4: Gymnastics Deduction - Listen
Feb. 25: Competitive Cheer Inversion - Listen
Feb. 18: Ice Hockey Delay of Game - Listen
Feb. 11: Ski Helmets - Listen
Feb. 4: Wrestling In Bounds or Out? - Listen
Jan. 21: Block or Charge? - Listen
Jan. 14: Out of Bounds, In Play - Listen
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 Chris Mudd/National Photo Scout.)
Be the Referee: Track & Field False Starts & Restarts
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 27, 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 – Track & Field False Starts & Restarts - Listen
We’re on the track today and in the starting blocks for the 100-meter dash. Just before the starter’s pistol goes off, the runner in Lane 3 lunges forward and false starts. What’s the call?
The runner who committed the false start is disqualified. There’s no longer a warning or second chance given. Everyone else lines up and gets ready to start again.
What about when a runner falls due to contact with another competitor in a distance race? If the contact happens in the first 50 meters, the race should be recalled – meaning they are brought back to the starting line for a re-do. The old rule called for a re-start if the contact occurred in the first 100 meters – but now it is within the first 50 meters.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
May 21: Fixed Obstruction in Tennis - Listen
May 13: Golf Cart Path Roll - Listen
May 6: Illegal Softball Bats - Listen
April 30: Golf Relief - Listen
April 22: Soccer Scoring Area Penalty - Listen
April 15: Fair or Foul? - Listen
April 8: Girls Lacrosse New Stoppage Rule - Listen
April 1: Base Runner Interference - Listen
March 25: Pine Tar Usage - Listen
March 11: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 4: Gymnastics Deduction - Listen
Feb. 25: Competitive Cheer Inversion - Listen
Feb. 18: Ice Hockey Delay of Game - Listen
Feb. 11: Ski Helmets - Listen
Feb. 4: Wrestling In Bounds or Out? - Listen
Jan. 21: Block or Charge? - Listen
Jan. 14: Out of Bounds, In Play - Listen
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 Ishpeming Westwood, Negaunee and Ishpeming High runners round the first curve during the boys 1,600 at the WIN Meet on May 6 in Ishpeming. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)