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 O-K Blue Football Tilt LIVE
October 7, 2015
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
Among live events available this week on MHSAA.tv is a football game for the top spot in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue pitting Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park at 7 p.m. Friday.
The teams are tied for first in the O-K Blue at 2-0, with Comstock Park, the No. 2 team in Division 4 in this week’s Associated Press poll, sporting a 5-1 record; and West Catholic, the two-time defending champion in Division 5, sporting a 4-2 overall mark. The game is being produced by Comstock Park students involved in the School Broadcast Program.
In its seventh 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 On-Demand – 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 the schedule of School Broadcast Program members planning to stream athletic competition this week for broadcast at MHSAA.tv. On-Demand listings may be available as soon as one hour following an event’s completion. (List as of Oct. 5):
Tuesday – Oct. 6
- Oscoda at Lincoln Alcona – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – LIVE
- Jackson at East Lansing – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – On-Demand
- Grand Rapids Northview at Cedar Springs – Boys Soccer – 6:45 p.m. – LIVE
- L’Anse at Calumet – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Posen at Rogers City – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Johannesburg-Lewiston at Onaway – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- Manistique at Negaunee – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
Wednesday – Oct. 7
- Menominee at Negaunee – 9th Grade Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
Thursday – Oct. 8
- Ada Forest Hills Eastern at Cedar Springs – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – LIVE
- Owosso at Haslett – Girls Volleyball – 6:30 p.m. – LIVE
- Ishpeming at Negaunee – JV Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
- Iron River West Iron County at Calumet – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Menominee at Marquette – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
Friday – Oct. 9
- MHSAA Boys Div. 1 Regional Tennis at Livonia Stevenson – 9:30 a.m. – On-Demand
- Rogers City at Whittemore-Prescott – Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
- Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Linden at Flint Kearsley – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Mt. Morris at Montrose – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Tawas at Pinconning – Football – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- East Kentwood at Rockford – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Midland Dow at Davison – Football – 7 p.m. - LIVE
Monday – Oct. 12
- Howard City Tri-County at Cedar Springs – Boys Soccer – 5 p.m. - LIVE
Tuesday – Oct. 13
- Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern at Cedar Springs – Boys Soccer – 6:45 p.m. – LIVE
- Negaunee at Calumet – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Hillman at Rogers City – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. - LIVE
Weekly highlights from games produced by participants in the MHSAA's School Broadcast Program are back for another school year on MHSAA.TV. This week's highlights include football games with Houghton Lake at Clare and DeWitt at Haslett and a girls volleyball match between two of the top-ranked teams in Class D, Pellston at Onaway. Watch those highlights below.
Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.
Launching at Midnight every Friday throughout the season is MHSAA Football Friday Overtime on FOX Sports Detroit. Mickey York and Rob Rubick host the weekly 30-minute highlights show. The show will re-air most Saturday and Sunday mornings – and will be archived on the FOX Detroit Website. This week, FFOT will re-air at 6, 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. Sunday on FOX Sports Detroit.
The following games are scheduled to be highlighted this week on Football Friday Overtime:
- Berkley at Birmingham Groves
- Farmington Hills Harrison at Farmington
- Almont at Algonac
- Haslett at Lansing Waverly
- St. Johns at DeWitt
- PLUS – SBP Coverage of Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park and Midland Dow at Davison.