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
Be the Referee: 40-Second Play Clock
August 30, 2018
In this week's edition, assistant director Brent Rice explains how Michigan is continuing to experiment with a 40-second play clock 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 – 40-Second Play Clock - Listen
There’s an experiment taking place on a number of high school football fields across the state again this year. Michigan is experimenting with a 40-second play clock in football.
This is designed to provide more consistency from play to play as the ball must be snapped 40 seconds after the end of the previous play and is not dependent on the referee’s subjective signal.
When play is continuing without a stoppage, the 40-second play clock will be used. If play has been stopped for a time out or penalty, the play clock will be set at 25 seconds.
After two seasons, the feedback received from coaches and officials has been very positive, and there’s a possibility the Michigan experiment may become a new national playing rule soon.
Past editions
August 23: Football Rules Changes - Listen