Be the Referee: Covering Knees
September 8, 2016
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains the increased focus on making sure knee padding is worn correctly in 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 – Equipment Covering the Knees - Listen
Everything in the game of football, from a rules-making perspective, starts and ends with an increased focus on player safety.
One big point of emphasis for the 2016 season centers on equipment being worn properly by all players. Too often we see college and pro players, especially those at the skill positions, wearing football pants that come nowhere close to covering the knee area.
With a continued focus on all high school players to lower the target zone when hitting an opponent to keep the head out of football, kids must wear pants with knee pads which completely cover the knee area to avoid those types of injuries.
Past editions
Sept. 1: Play Clock Experiment - Listen
Aug. 25: Clipping in the Free Blocking Zone - Listen
Be the Referee: Correcting a Down
September 10, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses how officials at the high school level have the authority to correct an error in what down is being played.
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 - Correcting a Down - Listen
For anyone who has followed football for a long time, perhaps the most famous “5th down” game was back in 1990 between Colorado and Missouri.
In that game, the officials mistakenly gave Colorado an extra down while trailing by four points. On the “fifth down” play, Colorado scored a touchdown on the final play of the game to win 33-31.
Under high school rules, the officiating crew has the ability to correct an error of the wrong down as long as it is done before the next snap. For example, if the crew realizes a team has been given an extra down, that play would be nullified and the ball would correctly go over to the other team.
Past editions:
Sept 3: Spearing - Listen
Aug. 27: Missed Field Goal - Listen