Be the Referee: Base Runner Interference
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
April 1, 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 – Base Runner Interference - Listen
Let’s head to the softball diamond today for a “You Make the Call," and how to score the play in the book.
We’ve got a runner on second with one out when the batter hits a grounder in the hole between short and third. The baserunner on second interferes with the shortstop attempting to make a play on the ball.
What’s the call? What happens to both the runner and batter?
The runner on second is out for interference. And the batter is awarded first base. There are now two outs with a runner on first.
In the scorebook, the batter is credited with a fielder’s choice, not a base hit. But if the interference is ruled intentional, both runner and batter are out.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
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
Be the Referee: Safety in Football
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
October 7, 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 – Safety in Football - Listen
We’re on the football field today, and the defense has sacked the quarterback in the offense’s own endzone, resulting in a safety. That’s two points for the defense, but what happens next?
Following a safety, the team that was on offense must kick the ball back to the team that was on defense.
The kicking team can either punt it, or drop kick it, with the line of scrimmage being their own 20-yard line. The kick must occur from within one step of the line of scrimmage. And the receiving team must have all of their players at least 10 yards from the line of scrimmage.
Once it’s kicked, play continues on as normal – much like a punt or kick return. But if a team chooses the drop-kick, they could recover the ball once it travels at least 10 yards.
Previous 2025-26 editions
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