Be the Referee: Bat Safety

June 1, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how bats have been altered the last few seasons to make baseball safer for pitchers and infielders.

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 - Bat Safety - Listen

The biggest change in the world of amateur baseball over the last five years has been the new standards for non-wood, or what most of us refer to as aluminum, bats.

Prior to these changes, it was quite common to see high school and college baseball scores in double digits on a regular basis. 

The new bat standards first sought to address player safety. And now these new aluminum bats match the ball exit speed ratio – or in other words, the speed that the ball comes off the bat – for a non-wood bat with what it would be coming off a wood bat; making the amateur game safer for pitchers and infielders.

Past editions
May 25 - Balks - Listen
May 18 - Baseball Pace of Play - Listen
May 11 - Fair or Foul Ball? - Listen
May 4 - Non-Glare Helmets - Listen
April 27 - Vern L. Norris Award - Listen
March 23 - Deciding the Game - Listen
March 16 - Block/Charge Call - Listen
March 9 - Dive on the Floor - Listen
March 2 - Primary Areas - Listen
Feb. 23 - Too Much TV - Listen
Feb. 16 - Video Clip Library - Listen
Feb. 9 - Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 2 - Basketball PA Announcers - Listen
Jan. 26 - Wrestling Health Concerns - Listen
Jan. 19 - Basketball Physical Contact -
 Listen
Jan. 12 - Video Review Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 29 - Video Review Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 17 - Registration Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 10 - Registration Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 3 - Legacy Program - Listen
Nov. 26 - Sideline Management - Listen
Nov. 19 - 7-Person Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 12 - Blocking Below the Waist - Listen
Nov. 5 - Tournament Selection - Listen
Oct. 29 - Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Oct. 22 - Preparation for Officials - Listen
Oct. 15 - Automatic First Downs - Listen
Oct. 8 - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen

Be the Referee: Libero

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

September 17, 2024

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 – Libero - Listen

In volleyball, a libero is a defensive player who plays in the back row. It’s a fairly new position, as it was introduced in 1998 – and the libero plays by some unique rules:

► The libero wears a different color jersey from the rest of the team – so they are easily identifiable. Only one libero can be designated for each set of a match.

► The libero can serve, but can't perform an overhead set in front of the attack line, or complete an attack if the ball is above the net.

► The libero is never allowed to rotate to the front line.

► The libero is the first line of defense, often passing to the setter and covering open spaces.

► The libero can be replaced without restriction – but in the event of an injury, can only be replaced by the player the libero originally replaced.

Previous 2024-25 Editions

Sept. 10: Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen

PHOTO Livonia Franklin libero Mckenna Moore (1) defends during her team's match against Livonia Churchill this season. (Photo by Douglas Bargerstock.)