Logo

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

O-K Crossover Top MHSAA TV Coverage

September 20, 2016

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director

A crossover game in the Ottawa-Kent Conference headlines this week’s schedule of live events on MHSAA.tv being produced by members of the School Broadcast Program.

Cedar Springs (2-0 O-K White, 3-1 overall) hosts Grand Rapids Christian (2-0 O-K Gold, 4-0 overall) at 7 p.m. Friday. 

In 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 video streams available being produced by SBP members, as well as live stats from MHSAA member schools using Digital Scout:

Tuesday – Sept. 20

Wednesday – Sept. 21

Thursday – Sept. 22

Friday – Sept. 23

  • Football – Coleman at Breckenridge – 6:30 p.m. - LIVE
  • Football – Traverse City West at Alpena – 7 p.m. – LIVE
  • Football – Oscoda at Rogers City – 7 p.m. – LIVE
  • Football – Charlton Heston Academy at Onaway – 7 p.m. – LIVE
  • Football – Mt. Morris at Goodrich – 7 p.m. – LIVE VIDEO & STATS
  • Football – Grand Rapids Christian at Cedar Springs – 7 p.m. - LIVE
  • Football – Marquette v. Gladstone – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Plymouth v. Canton – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Oxford v. Farmington – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Eben Junction Superior Central v. Stephenson – 7 p.m. - STATS
  • Football – Beaverton v. Sanford Meridian – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Davison v. Saginaw – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – St. Clair v. St. Clair Shores South Lake – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Hudsonville v. Holland West Ottawa – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Grand Ledge v. Jackson – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – East Jackson v. Manchester – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Fowlerville v. Lansing Catholic – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Oakland Christian v. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Addison v. Michigan Center – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Swartz Creek v. Flint Kearsley – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Saranac v. Bath – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – St. Johns v. Lansing Waverly – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Erie-Mason v. Hudson – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Calumet v. Hancock – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Lowell v. Greenville – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Corunna v. Flint Beecher – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Gwinn v. Negaunee – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Wyoming Lee v. Belding – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Bay City Central v. Midland – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – New Lothrop v. Belding – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Hanover-Horton v. Napoleon – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Grand Rapids West Catholic v. Coopersville – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Grand Traverse Academy v. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Traverse City Central v. Gaylord – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Saginaw Arthur Hill v. Saginaw Heritage – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Midland Dow v. Flint Powers – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary v. Hemlock – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central v. Grosse Ile – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Grosse Pointe South v. Grosse Pointe North – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Laingsburg v. Fowler – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Sparta v. Allendale – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy v. Adrian Lenawee Christian – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Stanton Central Montcalm v. Fremont – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Battle Creek Harper Creek v. Battle Creek Pennfield – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Marlette v. Ubly – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Lansing Everett v. Lansing Eastern – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Whitehall v. Montague – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Wayland Union v. Grand Rapids South Christian – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Petersburg-Summerfield v. Britton-Macon – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Mayville v. Morrice – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – St. Clair Shores Lake Shore v. St. Clair Shores Lakeview – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Baraga v. Powers North Central – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Wyoming Kelloggsville v. Grandville Calvin Christian – 7 p.m. – STATS
  • Football – Adrian v. Ypsilanti – 7 p.m. – STATS

Saturday – Sept. 24

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. Some schools also will be selling Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.

The SBP programming schedule is expected to expand now that school is in session across the state.  A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website. Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office. 

A weekly staple on the MHSAA.tv website and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube is back for another year with highlights of selected games last week produced by members of the Association’s School Broadcast Program. This week's package includes clips from the St. Clair/Clinton Township Clintondale and Traverse City Central/West football games, plus highlights from the Central/West "Patriot Game" festivities.

This week’s highlights package consists of clips from Vicksburg at Plainwell and Flint Southwestern at Davison football and Okemos at East Lansing girls swimming & diving.