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
SBP Coverage Ramps Up on MHSAA.tv
September 23, 2015
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
Nearly 50 events, including over 30 athletic broadcasts, will be put out by members of the MHSAA’s School Broadcast Program in the coming week as participating schools get settled into the third full week of the 2015-16 school year.
The programming ranges from athletic events to school board meetings and daily student announcements. 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. 22):
Wednesday – Sept. 23
- Tawas at Pinconning – Boys Soccer – 5 p.m. – On-Demand
- Escanaba at Negaunee – Freshman Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
Thursday – Sept. 24
- Wyoming at Cedar Springs – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – LIVE
- St. Johns at East Lansing – Girls Swimming & Diving – 6 p.m. – On-Demand
- Goodrich at Montrose – Junior Varsity Football – 6:25 p.m. – LIVE
- Gwinn at Negaunee – Junior Varsity Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
- Au Gres-Sims at Whittemore-Prescott – Girls Volleyball – 6:30 p.m. – LIVE
- Durand at Flint Kearsley – Boys Soccer – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- Escanaba at Marquette – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
Friday – Sept. 25
- Whittemore-Prescott at Lincoln Alcona – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Wyoming at Cedar Springs – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Flint Southwestern at Davison – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Holt at East Lansing – Football – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- Fenton at Flint Kearsley – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Gladstone at Marquette – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Standish-Sterling at Pinconning – Football – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- Allegan at Plainwell – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Caledonia at Rockford – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Coopersville at Comstock Park – Football – 7:40 p.m. – LIVE
Saturday – Sept. 26
- Oscoda Volleyball Invitational – 9 a.m. – On-Demand
- Detroit Catholic Central at East Lansing – Boys Soccer – 11:30 a.m. – On-Demand
Tuesday – Sept. 29
- DeWitt at Haslett – Boys Soccer – 5:30 p.m. – LIVE
- Grand Ledge at East Lansing – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – On-Demand
- Pellston at Onaway – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – On-Demand
- Greenville at Cedar Springs – Boys Soccer – 6:45 p.m. – LIVE
- Fenton at Flint Kearsley – 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 game between Cedarville at Onaway and girls volleyball matches Kingsford at Marquette and Mason at Haslett.
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 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday on FOX Sports Detroit.
The following games are scheduled to be highlighted this week on Football Friday Overtime:
- Lansing Eastern at Lansing Everett
- Holt at East Lansing
- Belleville at Dearborn Heights Robichaud
- Dearborn at Romulus
- Almont at Richmond