Be the Referee: Deciding the Game
March 26, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how an official's approach DOES NOT change during the final seconds of a game.
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 - Deciding the Game - Listen
Every American sports fan knows when the calendar turns to March, it’s time to start thinking about basketball tournament games.
With all of the pundits out there talking about the matchups and who may advance on the brackets, the comment gets made every single year that we simply hope the players decide the outcome of every game, and not a referee’s call.
The fact of the matter is that in the last 10 seconds of a tied game, when a player drives down the lane and gets hit and get knocked to the floor, an official has to make that foul call because the players did decide the outcome of that game.
For the officials to simply swallow their whistles and let one team break the rules for a clear advantage is not letting those players decide the outcome.
Past editions
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
NASO, MHSAA Postpone Officials Summit
February 1, 2021
Second Half
The National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), in conjunction with the MHSAA, has made the decision to postpone the in-person Sports Officiating Summit that was scheduled to be held in July in Grand Rapids.
As Summit sites for the annual conference have already been determined for the years 2022-25, the Summit will return to Grand Rapids in 2026.
Additionally, the in-person events surrounding the Officiate Michigan Day scheduled for July 31 and Aug. 1 have been cancelled for this year. However, the MHSAA remains committed to providing Michigan officials a quality virtual event July 31, including many of the same sessions scheduled for the live event.
Those who have registered for OMD 2021 will be provided a refund over the coming weeks. More details regarding the virtual OMD will be released soon.
“While this is certainly disappointing news, we are more committed than ever to provide MHSAA officials with an excellent virtual, cost-free alternative,” MHSAA Assistant Director Brent Rice said. “We are already in development of a program that will include great officiating content and presenters and allow MHSAA officials to interact with one another and celebrate high school officiating in Michigan.”
Click for more from NASO.