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Officiating’s High Calling

October 28, 2016

One of the sports world’s better wordsmiths is Referee Magazine publisher Barry Mano. He’s also a fine thinker, as these artful lines demonstrated at the 2016 Officiating Industry Luncheon in San Antonio:

“Let me provide, in all subjectivity, some observations about our environment, about our fellow citizens. We are:

  • “More generous but less forgiving.

  • More open but less discriminating with that openness.

  • More informed but less knowledgeable.

  • More litigious but less willing to abide by the rules.

  • Quick to seek an expert opinion, then just as quick to get a second opinion, one that agrees with ours.”

Barry is president of the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) which helps contest officials at all levels aspire to be discriminating and knowledgeable adjudicators of fair and healthy competitive athletics.

At a time when the number of registered officials with the Michigan High School Athletic Association has sunk to a 30-year low, Barry’s words are a clarion call to young men and women of character to consider sports officiating as an avocation, or even vocation, that will enrich their lives immensely.

Register as a contest official with the MHSAA | Join NASO

Be the Referee: Video Replay - Part 2

December 22, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains some of the main obstacles standing in the way of increased use of replay at the high school level.

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 – Video Review - Part 2 - Listen

In last week’s segment, we talked about the expanded use of instant replay for officials at both the collegiate and professional levels. The question is often asked of the MHSAA, “When are you going to use more instant replay at the high school level?”

Currently, there are a number of obstacles that prevent this, the first dealing with volume. With over 700 member schools in the MHSAA, hundreds of games and contests are played on virtually every night of the week. The second deals with cost and camera angles. At the high school level, most games are typically filmed or videoed using only a single camera from a set location, which precludes the use of various angles that would assist in getting the call correct.

Past editions
Dec. 15: Video Review - Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 8: Registration - Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 1: Registration - Part 1 - Listen
Nov. 24: You Make the Call - Sleeper Play - Listen
Nov. 17: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Nov. 10: Uncatchable Pass - Listen
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