Be the Referee: Hockey Delayed Offside

By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director

February 16, 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 – Hockey Delayed Offside - Listen

Bundle up because we are on the ice today with a delayed offside situation in hockey.

During the delayed offsides, the puck is shot directly on goal. Should the official:

► Whistle the play dead and restart with a faceoff from the offending team zone?

► Whistle the play dead and restart with a faceoff from the closest dot from where the shot was taken?

► Whistle the play dead and restart with a faceoff from the neutral zone?

► Or – let the play continue.

If you said let the play continue, you are correct. In this situation, the play should be allowed to continue until all offensive players clear the offensive zone.

The next time there’s a delayed offsides call with a shot on goal, you’ll know what to do.

Previous editions

Feb. 10: Basketball Timeout - Listen
Feb. 3: Basketball Video Review - Listen
Jan. 27: Wrestling Inspections - Listen
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

Be the Referee: Uncatchable Pass

November 10, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how the "uncatchable pass" is not a consideration when it comes to high school football interference penalties. 

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 – Uncatchable Pass - Listen

Today we’re going to talk about one of the most misunderstood rules at the high school level, and that deals with the uncatchable pass.

All of us have sat in front of our televisions on Saturday or Sunday and seen the long pass get thrown, followed immediately by the throwing of the flag. As the officials discuss what happened, the referee invariably clicks on the microphone and announces that there is no foul for pass interference because the pass was uncatchable.

At the high school level, that is not a factor in deciding whether or not pass interference has occurred. The ball does not have to be catchable, and if the contact is ruled as pass interference, that foul stands, regardless of the quality of the pass.

Past editions
Nov. 3: The Goal Line - Listen
Oct. 27: Help Us Retain Officials - Listen
Oct. 20: Point After Touchdown - Listen
Oct. 13: Untimed Down - Listen
Oct. 6: Soccer Penalty Kick Change - Listen
Sept. 29: Preparation for Officials - Listen
Sept 22: You Make the Call: Returning Kickoffs - Listen
Sept. 15: Concussions - Listen
Sept 8: Equipment Covering the Knees - Listen
Sept. 1: Play Clock Experiment - Listen
Aug. 25: Clipping in the Free Blocking Zone - Listen