Be the Referee: Ice Hockey Overtime

January 19, 2017

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains high school overtime rules for ice hockey.

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 – Ice Hockey Overtime - Listen

It has often been said that one of the most dramatic moments in sports is in a hockey game that is a one-goal game or tied late in the game.

In ice hockey at the high school level, MHSAA regulations deal with overtime and how ties will be broken in the postseason tournament. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, up to four separate 8-minute sudden-victory overtime periods will be played. In other words, once a team scores a goal, the game is over and that team wins.

If these four 8-minute overtime periods do not produce a winner, then the game continues with 8-minute periods of 4-on-4 on each side.

Past editions
Jan 12: Free Throw Change - Listen
Jan. 5: Ratings - Listen
Dec. 22: Video Review - Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 15: Video Review - Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 8: Registration - Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 1: Registration - Part 1 - Listen
Nov. 24: You Make the Call - Sleeper Play - Listen
Nov. 17: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Nov. 10: Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Nov. 3: The Goal Line - Listen
Oct. 27: Help Us Retain Officials - Listen
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: Dead Ball Penalty

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management

September 15, 2026

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 – Dead Ball Penalty - Listen

We’ve got 4th-and-10 on the football field today. Team A has the ball on their own 40 and is going for it.

The quarterback scrambles and is pushed out of bounds at the 49-yard line, one yard short of a first down.

A defensive player from Team B hits the quarterback after he’s been pushed out of bounds and is flagged for a dead-ball personal foul. Where should the ball be marked and who has possession?

Is it 1st-and-10 for Team A at Team B’s 36-yard line? Or does the defense get the ball, 1st-and-10 for Team B at their own 36?

If you said Team B’s ball, you are correct. The personal foul was a dead-ball penalty that is enforced after the change of possession.

Previous 2026-27 editions

Sept. 8: Libero Ejected - Listen
Sept. 1: 
Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
Aug. 25: 
Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen