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
30 Game Broadcasts Airing on MHSAA TV
September 30, 2015
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
More than 50 events, including more than 30 athletic broadcasts, will be put out by members of the MHSAA’s School Broadcast Program during the coming week.
The programming ranges from athletic events to school board meetings, daily student announcements and powder puff football games. A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.
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 Sept. 29):
Wednesday – Sept. 30
- Standish-Sterling at Pinconning – Boys Soccer – 5 p.m. – On-Demand
- Okemos at East Lansing – Boys Soccer – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
Thursday – Oct. 1
- Grand Rapids Northview at Cedar Springs – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – LIVE
- Holt at East Lansing – Girls Swimming & Diving – 6 p.m. – On-Demand
- Hopkins at Comstock Park – JV Football – 6:30 p.m. – LIVE
- Marine City Cardinal Mooney at Onaway – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- Clarkston at Lake Orion – Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
Friday – Oct. 2
- Tawas at Whittemore-Prescott – Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
- Burton Atherton at AuGres-Sims – Football – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern at Cedar Springs – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Lansing Everett at East Lansing – Football – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- DeWitt at Haslett – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Lansing Waverly at Mason – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Standish-Sterling at Montrose – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Dowagiac at Plainwell – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Grand Haven at Rockford – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Mio at Rogers City – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Kingsford at Marquette – Football – 7:30 p.m. – LIVE
- Lincoln Alcona at Oscoda – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Houghton Lake at Clare – Football – 7 p.m. - LIVE
Saturday – Oct. 3
- Onaway Volleyball Invitational – 9 a.m. – On-Demand
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
Weekly highlights from games produced by participants in the MHSAA's School Broadcast Program are back for another school year on MHSAA.tv. Highlights from this past week come from an 8-player football games between Cedarville at Onaway and girls volleyball matches between Kingsford at Marquette and Mason at Haslett. See below for this week’s package.
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 and 8:30 a.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. Sunday on FOX Sports Detroit.
The following games are scheduled to be highlighted this week on Football Friday Overtime:
- Novi at South Lyon
- Walled Lake Northern at Walled Lake Western
- Detroit Collegiate Prep at Detroit Pershing
- Northville at Livonia Stevenson
- Flint Hamady at Burton Bendle
- Flint Beecher at Lake Fenton