Be the Referee: Basketball Replay
December 26, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains the use of instant replay in basketball only for MHSAA Semifinals and Finals.
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 - Basketball Instant Replay - Listen
When watching a college or NBA game, the last 2 minutes of the game can seem like they take forever, especially in recent years where more and more judgment calls made by officials are subject to instant replay.
At the high school level, video is not used to make a ruling or confirm or overturn a call made during the course of the contest. The only time video review is used at the high school level is at the MHSAA Semifinal and Final games held at the Breslin Center. In these games, video review can be used only to determine if a shot was released in time at the end of the 4th quarter or overtime or if that shot in those periods was a 2-point or 3-point field goal when the shot is released near the 3-point line.
The MHSAA believes that this very limited use of replay in these games at the very end of the tournament series in boys and girls basketball is the right call.
Past editions:
Dec. 17: Basketball Communication - Listen
Dec. 10: Basketball Excessive Contact - Listen
Nov. 26: Pregame Communication - Listen
Nov. 19: Trick Plays - Listen
Nov. 12: 7-Person Football Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 5: Make the Call: Personal Fouls - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Demographics - Listen
Oct. 15: Make the Call: Intentional Grounding - Listen
Oct. 8: Playoff Selection - Listen
Oct. 1: Kick Returns - Listen
Sept. 24: Concussions - Listen
Sept. 17: Automatic First Downs - Listen
Sept. 10: Correcting a Down - Listen
Sept 3: Spearing - Listen
Aug. 27: Missed Field Goal - Listen
Be the Referee: Defensive Holding
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
October 6, 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 – Defensive Holding - Listen
Team A has the ball on their own 20-yard line and its 4th-and-15. They decide to go for it. The quarterback drops back to pass and is sacked at his 15-yard line, a five-yard loss.
But during the play, Team B – the defense – is flagged for holding an eligible wide receiver.
How is the penalty administered?
- Is it 4th-and-5 from Team A’s 30?
- Is it 4th-and-10 from Team A’s 25?
- Is it 1st-and-10 from Team A’s 30?
- Or is it 1st-and-10 from Team A’s 25?
If you said it is 4th-and-5 from Team A’s 30 – you are correct.
Defensive holding is a 10-yard penalty from the previous spot – which was the 20-yard line. Team A now has possession at the 30, needing to get to the 35 for first down.
Previous 2026-27 editions
Sept. 29: Minimum Number of Volleyball Players - Listen
Sept 22: Soccer Changes - Listen
Sept: 15: Dead Ball Penalty - Listen
Sept. 8: Libero Ejected - Listen
Sept. 1: Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen