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: Basketball Contact

January 22, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains new rules that further define contact fouls in high school basketball. 

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 - Basketball Physical Contact - Listen

One of the most challenging jobs for any basketball official is determining how much physical contact to allow over the course of the game. This year, new rules in high school basketball better define what contact against the dribbler or ball handler now results in a foul.

First, it is a foul whenever a defender places two hands at the same time on the dribbler. Second, whenever a defender places an extended arm bar on the dribbler. The third automatic foul is when that defender extends and places and keeps a hand on that dribbler for an extended period of time; and lastly, it’s an automatic foul whenever the defender contacts that dribbler more than once with either the same hand or with alternating hands.

Past editions
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