Soccer Hall of Famer Seitz, NFL Analyst Pereira Headline Officiate Michigan Day 2026
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
July 14, 2026
Officiate Michigan Day 2026 will welcome more than 1,000 Michigan High School Athletic Association-registered game officials July 25 to DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, where they will receive knowledge and instruction from several high-profile voices headlined by recent National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee Kari Seitz – a Brighton High School graduate – and one of television’s most recognizable rules analysts, Mike Pereira.
Officiate Michigan Day is designed to benefit officials with any level of experience, veteran to beginner. High-profile clinicians representing several sports and all levels including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA, FIFA and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) will provide face-to-face training during four sport-specific breakout sessions throughout the conference.
Pereira, a past collegiate and NFL football official who also has served as the NFL’s vice president of officiating, will present the opening address at 9 a.m. He has provided his knowledge during FOX Sports football broadcasts since 2010, explaining rules scenarios on-air as situations unfold in-game.
Seitz, also a graduate of Michigan State University, refereed Women’s World Cups in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 and Olympics tournaments in 2004, 2008 and 2012, and will deliver the conference’s closing message. She’s currently the vice president of refereeing for U.S. Soccer and formerly served as FIFA’s heading of refereeing.
This will be the third Officiate Michigan Day, joining events in 2013 and 2018. OMD 2026 will accompany the annual National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) Summit that will take place July 26-28, also at DeVos Place.
Officials may continue to register on the Officials page. Cost is $50. Additional details, including the full lineup of speakers and clinicians, also is available at that link.
Be the Referee: Wrestling Out-of-Bounds
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
February 25, 2026
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 – Wrestling Out-of-Bounds - Listen
Two wrestlers are near the out-of-bounds line. The offensive wrestler is completely out of bounds, while holding the defensive wrestler on his back. Only the defensive wrestler’s shoulder is on the out-of-bounds line, and nothing else is touching in-bounds. What’s the call?
The official should continue to let them wrestle. Wrestlers are considered in bounds if a total of two supporting points of either wrestler are inside or on the boundary line. They are also inbounds if a shoulder of the defensive wrestler or hip of the offensive wrestler is inside or on the line – as both these situations count as two points of contact. With the shoulder, it’s also the scapula making contact – and with the hip, it’s also the thigh.
But if there are two contact points inside or on the line – wrestling can continue. And that includes the possibility of a pinfall.
Previous 2025-26 editions
Feb. 17: Backwards Skiing - Listen
Feb. 10: Faking Being Fouled - Listen
Feb. 3: Bowling Pins - Listen
Jan. 27: Ski Gates - Listen
Jan. 20: Cheer Judges - Listen
Jan. 13: Basketball Over the Back - Listen
Jan. 6: Bowling Ball Bounces Out of Gutter - Listen
Dec. 9: Puck on Goal Netting - Listen
Dec. 2: Goaltending vs. Basket Interference - Listen
Nov. 25: Football Finals Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 18: Volleyball Libero Uniforms - Listen
Nov. 11: Illegal Substitution/Participation - Listen
Nov. 4: Losing a Shoe - Listen
Oct. 28: Unusual Soccer Goals - Listen
Oct. 21: Field Hockey Penalty Stroke - Listen
Oct. 14: Tennis Double Hit - Listen
Oct. 7: Safety in Football - Listen
Sept. 30: Field Hockey Substitution - Listen
Sept 23: Multiple Contacts in Volleyball - Listen
Sept. 16: Soccer Penalty Kick - Listen
Sept. 9: Forward Fumble - Listen
Sept. 2: Field Hockey Basics - Listen
Aug. 26: Golf Ball Bounces Out - Listen
(Photo by Douglas Bargerstock.)