Be the Referee: Help Us Retain Officials
October 27, 2016
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how we as fans, coaches and athletes can help keep officials in our games.
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 – Help Us Retain Officials - Listen
One of the biggest challenges each and every year is the recruitment, and more importantly, retaining our sports officials – that’s the referees, umpires and judges that allow our games to be played.
In numerous surveys, the two biggest areas that are driving officials out of the game are a lack of sportsmanship from adult spectators as well as coaches.
The next time you’re at a game, either as a fan or if you happen to be a high school coach, try and put yourselves in the shoes of the official.
While the officials will never be perfect, they do deserve at least your support as well as the benefit of the doubt on those tough plays.
Past editions
Oct. 20: Point After Touchdown - Listen
Oct. 13: Untimed Down - Listen
Oct. 6: Soccer Penalty Kick Change - Listen
Sept. 29: Preparation for Officials - Listen
Sept 22: You Make the Call: Returning Kickoffs - Listen
Sept. 15: Concussions - Listen
Sept 8: Equipment Covering the Knees - Listen
Sept. 1: Play Clock Experiment - Listen
Aug. 25: Clipping in the Free Blocking Zone - Listen
Be the Referee: Clocking From Shotgun
September 24, 2020
This week, MHSAA Assistant Director Brent Rice explains a change in football that gives teams another way to stop the clock while on offense.
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 - Clocking the Ball from the Shotgun - Listen
One of the other visible rules changes taking place this year in football pertains to the quarterback spiking the ball into the ground after receiving the snap from center in an attempt to stop the clock.
Previously, clocking the ball in an effort to preserve time could only be done from a traditional hand-to-hand snap from the center to the quarterback – which actually worked to the disadvantage of teams which run shotgun formations all the time.
The rules change allows the quarterback from a shotgun formation to immediately spike the ball into the ground after receiving it to stop the clock with an incomplete pass, bringing the high school rule in line with the college and professional rules.