A Leading Official
July 29, 2014
For more than a decade, Mark Uyl has been the MHSAA’s leader of service and support to officials. Mark’s calm demeanor and subtle sense of humor have much to do with his successful leadership of what we sometimes call “the complaint department;” but because he has been both, Mark has a good feel for and the respect of both school administrators and officials.
Since joining the MHSAA staff in January of 2004, Mark has continued to referee college football and baseball. Last month Mark worked the NCAA College World Series in Omaha which had been a long-time goal for this still very young man.
This week Mark ascends to chair of the board of directors of the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO).
It’s clear that Mark has as fine a reputation nationwide as he enjoys here in his home state.
Be the Referee: Football Rules Changes
August 23, 2018
In this week's edition, assistant director Brent Rice discusses a pair of rules changes coming to high school football this fall.
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 – Football Rules Changes - Listen
The biggest rules changes in high school football across the country this year involve player safety.
When any required player equipment is missing or worn improperly, an official's time-out shall be declared, and the player must come out of the game for one down. This includes players not wearing knee or thigh pads or rolling their pant legs up over their knees and equipment such as shoulder pads or back pads being exposed.
The other change continues to hone the definition of a defenseless player, this time affecting the quarterback once he has thrown the ball and becomes a passer. Until that time, he is defined as a runner. As a passer, he continues to be defenseless until the pass ends or he moves to participate in the play.
The penalty for hitting a defenseless player is 15 yards.