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
Today in the MHSAA: 5/21/25
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 21, 2025
1. SOFTBALL Division 2 top-ranked Gaylord swept No. 9 Petoskey to clinch a fifth-straight Big North Conference title – Petoskey News-Review
2. BOYS TENNIS Negaunee clinched its 14th-straight Mid-Peninsula Conference championship – Upper Michigan’s Source
3. TRACK & FIELD Hillsdale Academy swept girls and boys overall championships in the Southern Central Athletic Association; the girls are ranked No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, and the boys are ranked No. 2 – Hillsdale Daily News
4. BASEBALL Division 4 No. 18 Maple City Glen Lake swept Benzie Central to finish a repeat undefeated run through the Northwest Conference – Traverse City Record-Eagle
5. TRACK & FIELD Brownstown Woodhaven’s teams continued championship streaks, the girls with their fifth-straight title in the Downriver League and the boys in a repeat – Southgate News-Herald
6. BOYS TENNIS Marquette edged Kingsford by three points to clinch the Great Northern Conference Tournament title – Upper Michigan’s Source
7. BASEBALL Division 2 No. 2 Standish-Sterling won the outright Jack Pine Conference championship with a 2-0 victory over Clare – Bay City Times
8. TRACK & FIELD The LPD3 top-ranked Chesaning boys and New Lothrop girls won Mid-Michigan Activities Conference championship meets, with the Hornets’ girls sharing the overall league title with Chesaning’s – WJRT
9. BOYS GOLF Ludington won the final Western Michigan Conference Lakes jamboree to secure the overall league title – CatchMark SportsNet
10. TRACK & FIELD The McBain girls and Manton boys finished championship runs in the Highland Conference – Cadillac News
Also of note …
SOFTBALL/BASEBALL The Division 2 honorable mention Linden and Division 1 No. 5 Grand Blanc softball teams and Goodrich baseball team all clinched league titles – Mid-Michigan Now
TRACK & FIELD Milan’s girls and New Boston Huron’s boys won Huron League championship meets, Milan’s girls sharing the overall league title with Carleton Airport – Monroe News
GIRLS SOCCER Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian won the Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver Tournament title with a shootout victory over Fruitport, but Fruitport won the overall league championship – MuskegonSports.com