Be the Referee: Officials & Injuries
October 9, 2014
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains the official's role when it comes to player injuries.
"Be the Referee" is designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating and to recruit officials. The segment can be heard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the school year on The Drive With Jack Ebling on WVFN-AM, East Lansing.
Below is this week's segment - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Player safety is the number one topic in football, from the NFL level to college to high school, all the way down to the youth levels. We often get the question, what is the official’s role when it comes to player injuries?
Officials have no role in diagnosing injuries. However, they must be constantly aware of what’s taking place on the field, and whenever a player is showing signs and symptoms of a possible injury, the game needs to be stopped and that team’s staff alerted to a possible injury.
The decisions on that injury are made by the team’s staff, which often includes a doctor, certified athletic trainer and members of the coaching staff to be certain that the best interests of the student-athlete is being followed in every case.
Past editions
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: Kick Returns
October 1, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains the difference in high school kick return rules from those in the college and professional 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 - Kick Returns - Listen
One of the biggest differences in high school football rules and those in college and pro deal with kick returns. In the high school game, once a kick (a punt or kickoff) breaks the plane of the goal line, the ball is dead and a touchback is awarded.