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Be the Referee: Most Important Line

October 31, 2019

This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains what the goal line means for offenses, defenses and special teams in high school football. 

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 - Most Important Line - Listen

There’s an old saying in football officiating that the most important line on the field is the goal line.

This is certainly true when it comes to touchdowns, as the high school rule is just like that at the college and pro level, where all the ball has to do is break the plane for the score.

One unique part of the goal line under high school rules deals with kicks. Whenever a kickoff or a punt breaks the plane of the goal line, it becomes a dead ball with an automatic touchback. Now, whenever the defense gets possession of the ball in the end zone, it can return a fumble or interception out of the end zone for advancement, except if it’s on an extra point or any time in overtime.  

Past editions

Oct. 24: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Oct. 17: Catch Momentum - Listen
Oct. 10: Golf Rules Changes - Listen
Oct. 3: No Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 26: You Make the Overtime Call - Listen
Sept. 19: Swimming Finishing Touch - Listen
Sept. 12: Curbing Gamesmanship By Substitution - Listen
Sept. 5: Football Safety Rules Changes - Listen
Aug. 29: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen

Watch Track Finals Live on MHSAA TV

May 30, 2017

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director

Three straight weekends of MHSAA Spring Championships action on MHSAA.tv begin Saturday (June 3) with exclusive live video coverage of the MHSAA Track & Field Finals.

The action begins at 10 a.m. (EDT) at Lower Peninsula sites in the greater Grand Rapids area – East Kentwood (Div. 1), Zeeland (Div. 2), Comstock Park (Div. 3) and Houseman Field (Div. 4) – as well as at the Upper Peninsula Finals in Kingsford.

Here’s the complete schedule (girls run first in all events in 2017):

 

Lower Peninsula Finals

  • 10 a.m. – 3,200-Meter Relay Final; Round One – 100-Meter Dash, 110 & 100-Meter Hurdles, 200-Meter Dash
  • 1 p.m. – Running Finals (110 & 100 Hurdles, 100 Dash, 800 Relay, 1,600 Run, 400 Relay, 300 Hurdles, 800 Run, 200 Dash, 3,200 Run, 1,600 Relay)

 

Upper Peninsula Finals (All event times approximate & EDT)

  • 10 a.m. – 3,200 Relay
  • 11:45 a.m. – 110 & 100 Hurdles
  • 12:15 a.m.  – 100 Dash
  • 12:45 a.m. – 800 Relay
  • 1:15 p.m. – 1,600 Run
  • 1:45 p.m. – 400 Relay
  • 2:15 p.m. – 400 Dash
  • 2:45 p.m. – 300 Hurdles
  • 3:15 p.m. – 800 Run
  • 3:45 p.m. – 200 Dash
  • 4:15 p.m. – 3,200 Run
  • 5:15 p.m. – 1,600 Relay

 

Field events will not be shown. Awards presentations in all events will be shown when not in conflict with running events taking place at the same time.

 

Click for the MHSAA.tv Track Finals page.

The NFHS Network is offering a 30-day subscription for just $9.95, a pass which will provide access to more than 100 hours of live programming of Spring Finals. Over the following weekends, MHSAA Finals in Boys and Girls Lacrosse (June 10), Girls Soccer (June 16-17) and Semifinals and Finals in Baseball and Softball (June 15-17) will be streamed live. All events will be archived for free on-demand viewing, beginning three days after their completion. Subscriptions must be cancelled before the 30-day period is over to avoid recurring charges.