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 All Spring Finals for 1 Low Price
May 22, 2017
By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director
High school sports fans can catch three weekends of MHSAA Spring Tournament action on MHSAA.tv for just $9.95 on the NFHS Network.
The NFHS Network is offering its Month Pass for $9.95, which is 33 percent off the normal retail price. The pass will provide access to more than 100 hours of live programming of Spring Finals. Click here to take advantage of this offer.
Coverage begins June 3, with live coverage of running events at the MHSAA Track & Field Finals. Here’s the complete Spring Finals live streaming schedule:
- June 3 – Track Finals – Running events – East Kentwood (L.P. Div. 1), Zeeland (L.P. Div. 2), Comstock Park (L.P. Div. 3), Houseman Field, Grand Rapids (L.P. Div. 4), Kingsford (U.P.) – Coverage begins at 10 a.m.
- June 10 – Lacrosse Finals – Brighton (Girls), Howell - Parker Middle School (Boys) – Two games at each site, coverage begins at 2 p.m.
- June 15-17 – Baseball-Softball Semifinals & Finals – Michigan State University – Four games in each sport-each day, coverage begins at 9 a.m. each day
- June 16-17 – L.P. Girls Soccer Finals – Williamston High School – Two games each day, beginning at 1 p.m.
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.
The Lacrosse, Baseball-Softball and Girls Soccer events also will have live streaming audio at MHSAANetwork.com.
Wrapping up its eighth year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics.
The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
All sporting events – live or delayed – are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of live video streams being produced by SBP members (All times Eastern):
Monday, May 22
- Softball – Wakefield-Marinesco at Calumet, 4 p.m.
- Softball – Webberville at Montrose, 4 p.m.
- Softball – Wakefield-Marinesco at Calumet, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 23
- Softball – Davison at Lake Orion, 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 24
- Baseball – Negaunee at Calumet, 4 p.m.
- Baseball – Negaunee at Calumet, 6 p.m.
Be sure to check the Upcoming Events page at MHSAA.tv for schedule additions every day.
The NFHS Network has announced new pricing for 2016-17, eliminating the Day Pass and lowering the cost of a Month Pass to $9.95. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.
A weekly staple on the MHSAA.tv website and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube is back for the spring season with highlights of selected games last week produced by members of the Association’s School Broadcast Program.
This week’s highlights package consists of clips of a L.P. Division 1 Track Regional at Lake Orion and a Girls Soccer match between Eaton Rapids at East Lansing.
Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.